Lesbian.com, June 15, 2012
While studies have indicated that lesbianism is partly attributable to genetics, other contributory factors remain difficult to explain.
A 2011 British study of identical (sharing 100 percent of their DNA) and fraternal (sharing 50 percent of their DNA) twins demonstrated that, all else being equal, genetics do play a part in female sexuality – approximately 25 percent. Other data indicate that in-womb exposure to the male sex hormone androgen also plays a part. But a woman’s orientation is also susceptible to other factors. Cultural influences, positive and negative experiences, and feelings of love or attachment all play a part in what some refer to as female “erotic plasticity.”
University of Utah psychologist Lisa Diamond explains that, as a result, women are far more likely than men to “report remarkably late and abrupt onset of same-sex sexuality, often after heterosexual marriage.”