Following a stroke, Chris Birch’s personality and sexuality altered dramatically. Now he is trying to rediscover who he is and why these changes may have happened.

After a freak accident in 2011, he says he underwent a big change to his personality. He believes that he has gone from being straight to gay. When Birch’s story hit the headlines last year it sparked a media frenzy and the story went viral. However, some – including media organisations and those close to Birch – questioned whether a stroke could alter a person’s sexual orientation.

There are few known cases of a stroke turning a straight person gay, and major personality changes in stroke sufferers are rare. Even Jak Powell, Birch’s fiance, believes his partner may always have been gay. Yet Birch disagrees and is convinced that, neurologically, it was the stroke that altered his sense of self. The moment he realised his feelings towards men had changed was a scary period in his life.

A change in sexual orientation in a stroke sufferer is a controversial issue that can divide scientific opinion. Dr Qazi Rahman of Queen Mary, University of London, an expert in human sexual orientation, has researched the neurological differences between gay and straight men and women. Rahman says the brains of gay men could be organised differently to those of straight men.

Although science may never be able to reveal what happened after Birch’s accident and the lasting effect of the stroke, he is continuing to rediscover himself and move on with his new life. He has put away previous pictures of himself – and with them the “old Chris”.

Do you believe that a stroke can affect a person’s personality or sexual orientation? Tell us your opinion!

Source: BBC News

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