The pseudo-scientific concept of “telegony” (the idea that a woman’s first sexual partner leaves a genetic imprint that influences later offspring with a different partner) has been resurrected in some circles, including manosphere ideology of female sexual purity, right-wing esoteric movements in Russia derived from the so-called Slavic-Aryan Vedas, and alternative medicine or energy-healing beliefs that promise “telegony erasure.” The science behind it is worthless, but the sociology of why people believe in such quackery is worthy of study.
The Resurgence of “Telegony”
