Genetic sexual attraction

The term was popularized in the United States in the late 1980s by Barbara Gonyo, the founder of Truth Seekers in Adoption, a Chicago-based support group for adoptees and their new-found relatives.[6] Gonyo first heard the term used during an American Adoption Congress conference in the early 1980s.[7] She developed sexual feelings for her son when she met him after he was adopted away, but he did not want to be part of any such contact.[8]

Some psychologists theorize that the supposed phenomenon of attraction to biological relatives separated at a young age occurs because the separation forecloses the Westermarck effect,[9] which normally desensitizes biologically related persons to later sexual attraction.[9][10][11] Another suggested explanation for the phenomenon is possible narcissistic feelings.[12][13]

Although reported frequently as anecdote in the field of psychology,[14][15][16] there are no studies showing that people are sexually attracted to those genetically similar to them. Studies of MHC genes show that unrelated people are less attracted to those genetically similar to them.[17][18] However, in mice, this lack of attraction can be reversed by adoption.[19] While it has been documented that sexual attraction can occur between related individuals in some rare[20][21] cases,[16] it is not clear that calling this attraction GSA is appropriate.[8]

Critics of the hypothesis have called it pseudoscience.[8] Amanda Marcotte of Salon has stated that the term is nothing but an attempt at sounding scientific while trying to minimize the taboo of incest. She also opined that many news outlets have handled reports of the subject poorly by repeating what the defenders of the hypothesis have said as opposed to actually looking into the research on the supposed phenomenon. She states that most of the publications which have chosen to run stories of couples speaking about "genetic sexual attraction" are not legitimate news sources. As example, she refers to New York Magazine's Science of Us blog publishing an interview with a woman in an incestuous relationship that simply reads like a story of a young girl who has been groomed by her father.[8] The use of "GSA" as an initialism has also been criticized, since it gives the notion that the phenomenon is an actual diagnosable "condition".[22] Eric Anderson, sociologist and sexologist, states that the one single academic research paper on the subject uses "Freudian psycho-babble".[23]

Catherine MacAskill, an adoption and child sexual abuse expert, stated that "although [...] concerns are understandable [for adoptees and biological parents]" before attempting a reunion, one who researches the subject will realize that so called "genetic sexual attraction" cases seem to be associated with sudden unplanned meetings which lack the proper safeguards of a thoroughly prepared reunion.[24]

• Assortative mating, preferential mating between individuals with similar characteristics

• Hughes, Elizabeth (2017). Adopted Women and Biological Fathers: Reimagining stories of origin and trauma. Women and Psychology. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 9781315536361.
• Vaknin, Sam (2014). A to Z of Narcissism and Narcissistic Personality Disorder Encyclopedia: The Narcissism Bible. Narcissus Publishing.