BEIJING, June 8 -- British scientists have discovered that a woman's genes might affect her ability to have an orgasm, which will help scientists find better treatments for sexual problems.

    The new study was reported this week in Biology Letters, a journal of the Royal Society, Britain's independent academy of science.

    Scientists from St. Thomas' Hospital in London sent questionnaires to 4,037 women who are part of the British twin registry.

Women who have difficulty reaching orgasm can blame it on their genes, new research says.

    "We found that between 34 percent and 45 percent of the variation in ability to orgasm can be explained by underlying genetic variation," said Tim Spector.

    The results were similar to those of a study on Australian twins published earlier this year.

    The idea that orgasm ability has a genetic component makes sense, said female orgasm expert Laura Berman.

    "A lot of the women that I treat will tell me that when they talk to their siblings or mothers they very often have similar challenges," said Berman.

    The new research is likely to be interpreted as both good and bad news.

    "It'll be upsetting because some women will think, 'Oh my God, maybe I just can't.' On the other hand it takes away a kind of guilt or pressure," said Dr. Virginia Sadock, director of the human sexuality program at New York University Medical Center.

    Either way, specialists say the findings don't mean women who inherit an unfortunate gene package are doomed. They just mean that more work, or patience, is required.

(Agencies)