Maybe a stupid question but when epigenetic changes occured in us, could it be that we can pass that modified genes to our children? as example mothers that drink while pregnany — > kids are more prone to liver diseases
There are people here who have fathered children without any negative effect.
If you search “children” you will find a number of topics talking about it.
How would we know how these children are effected with one of the main problems most of us suffer with like no libido and weak or no erections for some people unless these children are now young teens?
youre right…
I have a six year old son and I have the same concerns.
We still don’t know if there’s really a change in genetics, don’t jump to sliced conclusions. Let’s worry about finding the real cause …
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someone correct me if I’m wrong but I think if we had an epigenetic change it would affect our somatic and not our germ cells. So it wouldn’t be passed to your offspring
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I have 3 boys and I have often wandered the same thing. I watch them closely though looking for any signs that may reflect pfs symptoms. Of course they are young and wouldn’t know anything about the sexual sides, but I don’t see anything yet that alarms me. So far they seem to be just like I remembered being as a child, care free and healthy.
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It’s not really possible to say if there could be directly consequential problems passed on at this point. This can occur in mammals exposed to some endocrine disruptors(1). However, the anecdotes - at least one of which is from a fairly severe case - are a good sign.
Genetic changes are not plausible. Finasteride is not mutagenic and there is no sign, suggestion or mechanistic possibility of changes to the genome, at least directly. What the scientific findings in PFS suggest are changes to the epigenome; that is, gene expression. This is a very complex area - I personally recommend Nessa Carey’s book the epigenetics Revolution as a primer. However, methylation is (largely) stripped from male haploid gamete by the egg when they together form a zygote, which is to put the epigenome in a totipotent situation. As such, I don’t think it’s worth worrying about in the absence of apparent problems, but no doubt an intriguing area for study once the underlying mechanisms of PFS are understood.
(1) https://academic.oup.com/endo/article/147/12/5515/2500352
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