"NOT TONIGHT, HONEY, IT'S MY GENES".

• Position: YOUR LIFE - Oxytocin receptor - Brief article

The quality of your marriage may be related directly to your genes. In particular, different genetic combinations of the oxytocin receptor (OXTR) gene were linked to a person's satisfaction with their marriage in a study by the United Kingdom's University of Birmingham.

"Oxytocin is known informally as the 'cuddle' hormone, so it's no surprise the OXTR gene would play such a huge role in the way couples give and receive love," says therapist and radio host Laura Berman.

Berman explains that the study found that men who have genotypic variations at the OXTR gene reported feeling less bonded and less supported by their wives.

"The researchers asked couples to discuss personal problems for 10 minutes, such as an issue bugging them at work. The men with the oxytocin receptor variation were found to report lower intimacy and connection following these discussions, as opposed to men without these particular variations."

Berman points out that men with this variation also were found to struggle with other social functioning issues...