Scientists discover the Slut-Gene

It wasn't me, it was my genes!

Has anyone heard of this excuse about silly one-night-stands or excessive promiscuity from one of your friends or partners? Well now it looks like you might be hearing this more often!
   According to a last year's study: people's inclination for sexual promiscuity lie partially in their DNA. Specifically it is a matter of a particular version of a dopamine receptor gene called DRD4. In scientific literature this gene has been associated with a wide array of behavioral tendencies and psychiatric conditions. People with this specific version of the gene exhibit "augmented anticipatory desire response to stimuli signaling dopaminergic incentives", such as food, alcohol, tobacco, gambling, and opiates. The change in these specific basepairs has been loosely linked to a susceptibility for developing ADHD and other psychological traits and disorders.
   In the new study, researchers gathered a detailed history of sexual behavior and relationships from 181 young adults. They also collected DNA samples from the volunteers' cheeks and analyzed the samples for the presence of the more slutty version of DRD4.
   "What we found was that individuals with a certain variant of the DRD4 gene were more likely to have a history of uncommitted sex, including one-night stands and acts of infidelity," study researcher Justin Garcia, a postdoctoral fellow at Binghamton University, State University of New York, said in a statement.
   People with the thrill-seeking gene variant were about twice as likely to report a history of one-night stands as those without the gene variant. Half of those with a love of risk imprinted in their DNA reported committing infidelity in the past, compared with 22 percent of those without the variant.

   Even though this study has established a link between a specific version of DRD4 and a tendency for sexual promiscuity, it certainly does not state cause-and-effect. In other words - not everyone with this gene will have one-night stands or commit infidelity; indeed, many people without this genotype will still have one-night stands and commit infidelity. 

   The truth remains that each one of us has a choice to make regarding our behaviors. While it’s often nice to put scientific reasoning in a box, it remains true to the field to consider all sides of the story.

via: Livescience