Related to a hot lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) issue of whether a "gay gene" exists, United States researchers have created a formula that can show a person's sexual orientation by examining their genetic changes. The computerized deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) test suggests various factors determine if a person is either homosexual or heterosexual.
Findings of the study have not been published yet, but researchers will soon be presenting them at a genetic conference. It was conducted by the David Geffen School of Medicine of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
Tuck Ngun was the lead researcher. He believes that the UCLA study created the world's first sexual orientation predictive formula based on molecular markers.
Ngun examined epigenetic changes (ones determining complex behaviors and usually in blood DNA) known as methylation in 47 sets of male twins. Identical twins have the same basic DNA. However, epigenetic changes can greatly affect what they experience later in life.
Ngun and his research team created a computer algorithm. It implied that patterns of methylation in 9 regions were linked to sexual orientation about two-thirds of the time.
However, some experts argue that Ngun is making bold claims by arguing that genes can predict a person's sexual orientation. One reason is that the study's sample size was very small.
Darren Griffin is a genetics professor at the University of Kent. He is also skeptical yet said there is growing evidence that homosexuality is a normal genetic trait in human populations, according to NBC News.
Ngun explained why women were not included in the study. He noted that there was little past research on links between female genetics and sexual orientation to build on, according to The San Diego Union-Tribune.
Around 3.8 percent of the U.S. population identifies as being part of the LGBT community. That is based on a recent Gallup poll.