Re: Testosterone/Estrogen and personality

Can testosterone and estrogen play any role in thought patterns and personality?

Yes, definitely.

Men and women have some common traights, i.e. some men have really macho manly type outlook on life and some women have really girly softly outlook on life. I always wondered if hormone levels could affect this, i.e. what influence does testosterone have on personality, and what influuence does estrogen have on personality, if any? I know what some of the neurotransmitters influence, i.e. dopamine confidence, histamine drive, seretonin happiness, but I've never seen antyhing on what role hormones could have.

Both testosterone and progesterone are androgens, which increase anger and aggression.

Testosterone also increases the desire for sex, self confidence and assertiveness and decreases depression.  But it also decreases the desire to be around other people.

Progesterone decreases the desire for sex, promotes nurturing and defensiveness.

Estrogen helps maintain the sex drive and promotes receptiveness.  It is more calming and reduces depression. It is sometimes considered to increase bonding, but this would be due to the fact that oxytocin, which promotes bonding, increases estrogen.  Therefore, it is the oxytocin that promotes the bonding, the estrogen just happens to rise in its presence.

If they do play a role, do the hormones get into the brain like neurotransmitters, or something else.

The role that hormones play can be in part from their effect on neurotransmitters.  Testosterone for example increases dopamine activity, which promotes our drive.

I do wonder what role they play I assume quite a big one. Someone once told me gay and/or camp males (please dont be offended anyone just saying) may have more estrogen in their body than testosterone. And thus people concluded its the lack of testosterone making them that way.

I have never seen any evidence to back this claim and off hand I would say it is wrong for several reasons.  Higher estrogen would cause female characteristics such as a decrease in the ability to grow facial hair and breast development.  This does not occur in most gay males and many gay males show characteristics of high testosterone.  In addition, certain alcohols and even excess body fat can increase estrogen levels, but these do not make men gay.  Also, how would they explain gay females since women in general have higher estrogen levels?

People are born with their sexua| orientation.  It is not due to changes in their hormones throughout life.

Interestingly, many people may be gay and not even know it.  A person's true sex is not determined by whether they have a penis or vagina.  A person's true sex is determined by your chromosomes.  A person with male chromosomes can have what we consider a female body and vice-versa.  The only way a person can tell if they are really male or female is by examining their chromosomes.  

I am waiting for some attorney to bring this up in Court to fight the discrimination in "same sex marriages".  In order to enforce the law then people would have to prove their sex through genetic testing.  When this happens a lot of people who fought against "same sex" marriage are going to find out that they are not legally married because they were not the sex they thought they really were.  Should be very entertaining to watch.  Hmmm.....   Maybe a new TV reality show.  We can call it "The Gender "Mind" Bender".