[Vulvoplethysmographic reaction in homosexually-oriented women]

The author examined, using an electrocapacitance VPG apparatus, 50 women reporting homosexual orientation. The results were compared with a control group of 50 women volunteers who reported a defined heterosexual orientation and had no marked complaints and problems in their sexual life. The general vasomotor reactivity in response to erotic stimuli did not differ in the two groups of women (the number of recorded vasomotor reactions differed only insignificantly). During evaluation of the total number of positive reactions to heterosexual and homosexual categories of stimuli the difference between the two groups was highly significant (similarly as during evaluation of the number of positive reactions which were described as major reactions). Women of the homosexually oriented group responded as expected, significantly more frequently and more markedly to homosexual stimuli. As compared with the control group of heterosexually oriented women, they had a generally poorer capacity to differentiate between different categories of erotic stimuli and a lower reactivity during projection of slides of homosexual partnership activities than during projection of slides of homosexual objects (nudes). In all examined women of the control group an unequivocal heterosexual orientation was recorded, in the group of homosexual women a more or less defined homosexual orientation was confirmed. In both groups was a high correlation between the subjectively reported sexual orientation and the results of the VPG examination. The authors confirmed that it is possible to use electrocapacitance vulvoplethysmography as evidence of the homosexual orientation in women and that this psychophysiological examination method is relatively reliable in the diagnosis of female homosexuality.