Back Heteroseksualiteit Afrikaans مغايرة جنسية Arabic مغاير ARY বিপৰীতকামিতা Assamese Heterosexualidá AST Heteroseksuallıq Azerbaijani قارشی‌جینسچی‌لیک AZB Heterosekswalidad BCL Гетэрасексуальнасць Byelorussian Гетэрасэксуальнасьць BE-X-OLD

Heterosexuality

"Hetero" redirects here. For other uses, see Hetero (disambiguation). "Straight men" redirects here. For the comedy stock character type, see straight man.

This article is about heterosexuality in humans. For heterosexuality in other animals, see Animal sexual behaviour. For the album by Shamir, see Heterosexuality (album).
Sexual orientation
Sexual orientations
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A straight couple

Heterosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction or sexual behavior between people of the opposite sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, heterosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions" to people of the opposite sex. It "also refers to a person's sense of identity based on those attractions, related behaviors, and membership in a community of others who share those attractions."[1][2] Someone who is heterosexual is commonly referred to as straight.

Along with bisexuality and homosexuality, heterosexuality is one of the three main categories of sexual orientation within the heterosexual–homosexual continuum.[1] Across cultures, most people are heterosexual, and heterosexual activity is by far the most common type of sexual activity.[3][4]

Scientists do not know the exact cause of sexual orientation, but they theorize that it is caused by a complex interplay of genetic, hormonal, and environmental influences,[5][6][7] and do not view it as a choice.[5][6][8] Although no single theory on the cause of sexual orientation has yet gained widespread support, scientists favor biologically based theories.[5] There is considerably more evidence supporting nonsocial, biological causes of sexual orientation than social ones, especially for males.[3][9][10]

The term heterosexual or heterosexuality is usually applied to humans, but heterosexual behavior is observed in all other mammals and in other animals, as it is necessary for sexual reproduction.

  1. ^ a b "Sexual orientation, homosexuality and bisexuality". American Psychological Association. Archived from the original on August 8, 2013. Retrieved August 10, 2013.
  2. ^ "APA California Amicus Brief" (PDF). Courtinfo.ca.gov. Retrieved 2013-10-11.
  3. ^ a b Bailey, J. Michael; Vasey, Paul; Diamond, Lisa; Breedlove, S. Marc; Vilain, Eric; Epprecht, Marc (2016). "Sexual Orientation, Controversy, and Science". Psychological Science in the Public Interest. 17 (2): 45–101. doi:10.1177/1529100616637616. PMID 27113562.
  4. ^ "Human sexual activity – Sociosexual activity". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2019-12-21.
  5. ^ a b c Frankowski BL; American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Adolescence (June 2004). "Sexual orientation and adolescents". Pediatrics. 113 (6): 1827–32. doi:10.1542/peds.113.6.1827. PMID 15173519.
  6. ^ a b Lamanna, Mary Ann; Riedmann, Agnes; Stewart, Susan D (2014). Marriages, Families, and Relationships: Making Choices in a Diverse Society. Cengage Learning. p. 82. ISBN 978-1-305-17689-8. Retrieved February 11, 2016. The reason some individuals develop a gay sexual identity has not been definitively established  – nor do we yet understand the development of heterosexuality. The American Psychological Association (APA) takes the position that a variety of factors impact a person's sexuality. The most recent literature from the APA says that sexual orientation is not a choice that can be changed at will, and that sexual orientation is most likely the result of a complex interaction of environmental, cognitive and biological factors...is shaped at an early age...[and evidence suggests] biological, including genetic or inborn hormonal factors, play a significant role in a person's sexuality (American Psychological Association 2010).
  7. ^ Gail Wiscarz Stuart (2014). Principles and Practice of Psychiatric Nursing. Elsevier Health Sciences. p. 502. ISBN 978-0-323-29412-6. Retrieved February 11, 2016. No conclusive evidence supports any one specific cause of homosexuality; however, most researchers agree that biological and social factors influence the development of sexual orientation.
  8. ^ Gloria Kersey-Matusiak (2012). Delivering Culturally Competent Nursing Care. Springer Publishing Company. p. 169. ISBN 978-0-8261-9381-0. Retrieved February 10, 2016. Most health and mental health organizations do not view sexual orientation as a 'choice.'
  9. ^ LeVay, Simon (2017). Gay, Straight, and the Reason Why: The Science of Sexual Orientation. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780199752966.
  10. ^ Balthazart, Jacques (2012). The Biology of Homosexuality. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780199838820.

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