John and Mary Smith met in college and married soon aftergraduation.They were lu

Question

John and Mary Smith met in college and married soon aftergraduation.They were lucky enough to find good jobs in the same area, bought a condo and settled into a comfortable life.

Eventually, Joan and Mary decided to start a family.They heard about DNA testing: a new family planning procedure using DNA samples to screen for possible genetic differences that could affect their child's health and development. This sounded like a wise precaution, and they ordered the tests.When the results came back, John and Mary were relieved to learn that they each had a clean bill of health as far as their future children were concerned.There was one personal glitch, however:the test revealed that John had the "infidelity gene"

Mary had never heard of an infidelity gene.In fact, Mary wasn't entirely sure what a gene was, and she had no idea how - or whether - a gene could cause her husband to be unfaithful.Mary consulted her doctor and searched online to find out more about this gene, but what she read was confusing

Explanation / Answer

Three sites I found while searching for the 'infidelity gene' are:

1. http://www.webmd.com/sex-relationships/news/20101201/is-infidelity-genetic

This site is good in terms of clarity and accuracy of findings reported. It reports a study of a genotype which has been found more in a sample of promiscuous people tested. But in no way does it promote that a genotype is responsible for a particular behavior. It maintains that more research on this finding is required.

2. http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0014162

This is purely a scientific journal article with systematic findings and conclusions.

3. http://abcnews.go.com/Health/scientists-discover-gene-responsible-cheating-promiscuous-sex-habits/story?id=12322891

This looks like a typical news story with a video and a header- Thrill-Seeking Gene Can Lead to More Sex Partners..no information about the accuracy of this finding or scope for future research is mentioned.

I found a lab DNA solutions from the internet that tests our DNA in a direct to customer way without any medical professional involved -http://www.dnanow.com/

Common people will definitely not be able to decipher the test results of a complex test like a DNA test. The government must definitely regulate DTC marketing of genetic screening procedures to ensure transparency and prevent alarmist hypes. DTC must be eliminated in favour of medically supervised tests.

Genes cannot control behavior. Human behavior is a very complex phenomenon and is governed by many factors like the environment and brain patterns. Genetics, especially the function of specific genes like the 'infidelity' gene requires much more research and has been overhyped by private companies. There is no reason to be alarmed by such hype.

Fidelity is a choice a person can make and no gene has the power to compel a person to indulge in a specific behavior. Besides we have a long way to go before we can pin-point the function of specific genes.

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