Sexual Revolution Milestone

English scientists have discovered the human gene that controls fertilisation.

Lead researcher Dr Tim Karr, from the University of Bath, said: "All sexually reproducing animals do the same kind of DNA 'dance' when the DNA from the mother's egg cell and the father's sperm cell meet for the first time."

When the sperm enters the egg, its DNA has to undergo a complete transformation so that it can properly join with the female DNA to form a genetically complete new life.

Sperm makes this change by swapping the type of 'packing material', known as histone proteins, it contains.

The result is called the male pronucleus, which can then combine with the female pronucleus.

The article focuses on how infertile couples can become fertile, which is very important, but I suspect the more common usage will be in stopping fertilisation from taking place.

When gene therapies become common-place, I'd imagine that one of the most popular will be for young women to take a gene therapy to make them infertile. To, in effect, render them sterile so that no amount of sexual activity will result in pregnancy. When they decide to have children (or more likely in the West, one child) they reverse the therapy until they have their child.

And this passes most religious muster, too. It isn't the abortion of a conception, but the prevention of conception itself. It's also likely to be popular since it doesn't involve covering male body parts, or taking pills or watching timing, making sex truly spontaneous. Pregnancy control becomes a "one treatment" issue.

Of course, sexually transmitted diseases will explode, but we can deal with that when we get there....