What the length of your fingers says about your sexuality, according to scientists

The length of the fingers could provide a clue to a person's sexuality, suggested a study.

The University of Essex study examined sets of identical twins in which one of each set was straight and found that, on average, the homosexual twin had a greater difference between the length of his index finger and that of his the annulus.

Previous research has shown that exposure to testosterone, a male hormone, in the uterus could be related to differences in finger length.

The index and ring finger of women generally have the same length, while the difference is greater in men.

Men and women are exposed to testosterone, a "male" hormone in the uterus.

The study revealed that out of 18 pairs of twins, the lesbian twin had more "typical male" hands than her heterosexual sister.

Out of 14 pairs of male twins, the gay twin had slightly more "typical" hands than their heterosexual brother, but the difference between the two was not considered significant.

Dr. Tuesday Watts, Department of Psychology, said, "Because identical twins, who share 100% of their genes, may differ in their sexual orientation, factors other than genetics must take this into account.

"Research suggests that our sexuality is determined in the womb and depends on the amount of male hormone to which we are exposed or how our body reacts to this hormone, people exposed to higher levels high testosterone levels being more likely to be bisexual or homosexual.

"Because of the link between hormone levels and the difference in finger length, looking at someone's hands might provide a clue to their sexuality."

The results are published in the journal Archives Of Sexual Behavior.