Kissing cousins? Is it ok?

[pinkelephant]

The lack of genetic variation is a cause of problems, within itself as well.

 

I don't think it's wrong, perse... but it would be confusing to the family tree. I have some hot cousins, though!

[sophie274]

The reason I would not date/marry a first cousin (hypothetically - I only have one male first cousin and we have zero attraction to one another) in the US is because of the stigma/weirdness associated with it. I don't personally see anything wrong with it at all, either from a health/safety standpoint or a moral standpoint, but it would be hard to live with some of the very negative, and, in my opinion, knee-jerk reactions. One of my American friends of Central Asian descent is married to her first cousin, but since she lives in her cultural community I don't think she gets too many negative reactions. Fact is, marriages between cousins are super common outside of the first world generally, in more traditional societies generally. We're not even so far removed from the times when they were common in the US (Gone with the Wind, anyone?)

 

I would marry a 3rd, 4th cousin ... again very hypothetically, don't see it happening for me in my family!

[Seraphim]

For sure, in many parts of the world it is acceptable to marry family. I just have no attraction whatsoever to any family member.

 

I get worried about the medical issues. In my mom's family for example, my grandmother and 2 of her sisters married 3 brothers from the same family. The two families had been intermarried before in the past. Both of her families have significant risk of dying of cancer. Now years ago they knew nothing about that, but these two families intermingled and the last 3 generations of the family almost every single person has died of cancer. All but ONE of my mother's aunts and uncles died of cancer and the only other who did not die of cancer was her mother. So in 1 generation TWO people did not die of cancer. Of my mother's cousins who have passed away now, all have been from cancer. She has cousins who's children have had cancer, cousins who's grandchildren have died of cancer. My little second cousin died of brain cancer before he was 10. Look at the mortality rate there. It might have been better had they not married into each other's families, but they were from a small community with limited people to marry so over time families mingled more than once. I think that it is a big reason that the mortality rate from cancer in my mother's family is enormously high.

[Mercurial Girl]

Oh yeaaaah?

 

My family is dropping off like a bunch of flies stuck in a mason jar because of cancer but having seen a completed family tree there has been no "mingling" since one set of second cousins marrying and having one child in the 1800s.

[sidehop]

That's true, Victoria.

 

While inbreeding doesn't "create" genetic diseases, it can cause problems when family members intermarry accross several generations. Diseases that would have remained dormant can end up being phenotypically expressed when people of similar genotypes have children together.

 

The lack of genetic variation is a cause of problems, within itself as well.

 

Pretty much this.

 

I have some hot cousins, though!

 

lol

[Seraphim]

Oh yeaaaah?

 

My family is dropping off like a bunch of flies stuck in a mason jar because of cancer but having seen a completed family tree there has been no "mingling" since one set of second cousins marrying and having one child in the 1800s.

 

It is still not good for families to marry over generations. It makes the gene pool too limited. Of course cancer has enormous environmental markers and causes but one can not ignore the genetic markers as well for disease.

[petite]

I would never do it not only because of medical reciprocation but I think it's morally wrong. I consider 5th and 6th cousins as extended family and having relationships and marriages between family members is definitely not okay for us.