Is it Something in the Water?

Why do so many now identify as LGBT, especially among younger generations? The statistics from a recent U.S. Gallup poll for such identification are stark:

Generation Z (1997-2003): 20.8%
Millennials (1981-1996): 10.5%
Generation X (1965-1980): 4.2%
Baby boomers (1946-1964): 2.6%
Traditionalists (before 1946): 0.8%

It’s been suggested that the main explanation for this massive shift in identities and behaviours is a change in cultural attitudes, put into overdrive in the last two decades by the internet, social media and smartphones. According to the poll, a record 7.1% of adults in the U.S. now identify as LGBT, a figure that has doubled since 2012. Gallup Senior Editor Jeff Jones said that “population change is what is driving this”.

However, some scientists have suggested that there may be a biological cause and not just a social one. In particular, certain hormones found in the contraceptive pill have been found accumulating in drinking water supplies and may be affecting human sexual functioning and psychology. The hormones appear primarily in the form of oestradiol (EE2), the most potent form of oestrogen, and these hormones enter the water via the sewage system. Researchers found this potent hormone in 80% of the water at the 50 sites they tested.

One study carried out by the Environment Agency showed that oestrogenically active substances discharged into the environment had led to the feminisation of male fish, causing them to effectively switch sexes. Many fish have been found with both male and female sexual organs, and the fertility of male fish has declined to such an extent that some freshwater fish species have been extinguished. At this stage, experts worry more about hormones than general pharmaceuticals, because while highly concentrated levels of medication are required before our bodies are affected, small amounts of hormones can have an impact.

“EE2 is a very potent chemical,” said Professor Susan Jobling of Brunel University. “It is designed to have effects in the human body at very low levels. That means it will also have a significant impact in the environment. While medical researchers may understand the effects of a one-off prescribed dose, they do not yet understand the effects of a permanent presence of the drugs in our bloodstream.”