Could Tiger Woods carry an infidelity gene?

By Jimmy Downs

Too bad for Tiger Woods.  There has been too much negative media coverage for him in the past two weeks.

Over the past 17 days, he has become the focus of the worldwide news media for his alleged adultery or infidelity or extramarital romantic relationship with allegedly more than a dozen women.

Maybe Tiger Woods is not too bad a person, just as he is a great professional golfer.  He may have some explanation for his extra-ordinary sexual behavior in addition to the temptations that follow his fame and wealth.  He just has not told anyone.

There is a possibility even though in reality no one knows that Tiger Woods may carry some genetic variant that predisposes him for his infidelity.  This is a speculation of the writer and there is no reporting that he carries any gene that is responsible for his behavior.

Some research has been reported however that indicates that infidelity or difficulties in marital relationship may have something to do with some variation in certain gene(s).

One gene that is found relevant dictates production of one of the receptors for vasopressin, a hormone found in the brains of most mammals.

According to Hasse Walum and his colleagues who published their research in 2008 in the scientific journal PNAS, men who carry two copies of a variant of the gene called 334 allele are twice as likely as those who do not carry the variant to experience marital problems such as infidelity.

Walum and colleagues also found women married to men who carry one or two copies of the 334 allele are more likely than other women to feel unsatisfied in their marriages.

Some media reports even suggest that in the future, a vasopressin pill or some drug may be produced and used to help men who are prone to infidelity to overcome their relationship problems and help men stay with their wives happily forever.

Again, we do not know if Tiger Woods carry any of such a genetic variant.  One thing we do from research that women do like to 'mate' with men with higher or better social or financial status.   In a sense, Tiger Woods should not be the only one who should be blamed for the mess.