Defective Gene In Men Makes Conception Difficult

The discovery of a gene defect may explain why some couples have difficulty getting pregnant even when everything looks okay. A defective gene in sperm may make it more difficult to fertilize an egg (although not impossible). Read more:

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From the article:

The genetic change is in a gene called DEFB126, which codes for a protein that clings to sperm, helping them swim through the woman's body to fertilise the egg.
Abnormal sperm These sperm look normal but have more difficulty getting to the egg

Researchers believe men with the defective gene have sperm that find it harder to make their way through mucus, causing low fertility.

A study of more than 500 married couples in China found that women who had partners with two copies of the defective gene (one from the mother and one from the father) were less likely to get pregnant.

The women also took longer to get pregnant by a couple of months.

Further studies, carried out in people from the US, UK, China, Japan and Africa, found the gene mutation is common around the world.

About half of all men carry one copy of the defective gene; while a quarter have two defective copies.