1st cousin marriage

[Wiseplumnet]

AIBU to ask your opinion on 1st cousin marriage?.I have read that the government is looking to ban it. I know it is more prevelent ( but declining) in the UK among people of Asian origin. I am not coming from a judgemental or racist angle. I am just interested to know how mum'snetters of all ethnicities feel about marriage between 1st cousin's. I know it used to be more common in the west at one time, apart from keeping money/property in families, people travelled less widely, so there was less choice of marriage partners.I worked with a girl ( White British) who was in a secret relationship with her 1st cousin and they are very reluctant to tell their family, so there seems to be a cultural taboo in 1st cousins being romantically involved.Genetic factors resulting in disabilities (statistically twice as many as in unrelated parents) is sometimes given as a reason for banning cousin marriage, however we have genetic screening now, and disabilities aren't always serious.As so many babies died in infancy before we had vaccines, better health care etc , it was probably difficult to differentiate whether the close relationship between parents was the cause of any disabilities their children . Speaking for myself,I can't imagine wanting to marry any of the cousins I was brought up with as they seem more like brothers to me, but I could understand why someone may be attracted to a 1st cousin who they first met as adults. Or does it give you the instant 'Yuk' ? Also is banning 1st cousin marriage the same as banning 1st cousin sexual relationships and children, or would that become illegal? Maybe there's no need for a legal ban as the tradition will just die out over time

You can’t be first cousins if you aren’t related, your first cousin is a blood relation and the child of your aunt or uncle.

Being raised as cousins and the pursuing a sexual relationship just makes someone a weirdo.

Hope that helps.

It absolutely should be banned. In addition to the genetic risks (especially when the pattern is repeated), there are cultural issues with it as well. Cousin marriage, literally keeping everything in the family and not joining with an external family, is associated with more insularity. Countries where it is more prevalent have different moral norms, it is seen as morally better to act in ways that benefit your family over the rest of society.

I read the book The Weirdest People in the World by Joseph Heinrich, it's a very interesting book about how Western psychology is quite strange in many ways, but a large chunk was about the widespread rejection of cousin marriage due to the Church.

It's a dreadful that it hasn't yet been made illegal. Cousin marriage risks condemning any children to a live of disability for no good reason. The further apart your gene pool is the healthier your genes are.

I don’t think adopted siblings can marry can they? Not sure but the law should simply treat cousins in exactly the same way as siblings are currently treated

YANBU. I am of Asian descent and it’s not common amongst my relatives or those who share our religious beliefs. It can also cause lots of issues genetically so also a no from me.

Is that the only reason why it's a no, not that its proper creepy?

Of course it should be banned. Cousins share the same grandparents. It’s weird as fuck.

And? That was nearly 200 years ago.
She also used chloroform while giving birth and had a cocaine and opium habit.
None of those things are a good idea either

My neighbours are first cousins. White British.

It’s so bad for kids It’s hooks be banned

It’s a fair question though. I mean if two people who are twins who marry have a child with a genetic disorder. Then if their 2 siblings (the other twins ) marry they are more likely to have a child with the same disorder. But to begin with it is the same risk as the general population if you get me (that’s really confusing sorry !)

I 4 male first cousins ( loads of femsle) and as lovely as they all are i cant imagine being attracted to them i have knowm them my entire life and our parents are siblings very strange imo
That said i wouldnt know my second or third cousins if i fell over them.

Weirdos..

Should be illegal. Their kids could have alsorts wrong with them
Too inbred.

Its gross, it costs the taxpayer in disabled children. Yes it should be banned.

You need to hand over yout birth certificate to get a marriage licence and it would take a few minutes to check that neither of the parents are related

In specific local areas with higher rates of consanguineous unions, individual NHS trusts have reported spending significant sums. For example, reports have highlighted instances where a single local NHS trust spent an estimated £3.6 million ($4.5 million) on treating medical conditions and birth defects linked to consanguinity.

The landmark Born in Bradford medical study found that children born to first cousins require one-third more primary care appointments than children whose parents are not related

Proportion of Congenital Anomalies: The same study revealed that consanguineous marriages double the risk of congenital anomalies (rising from roughly 3% to 6%). In areas like Bradford with high rates of blood-related marriages, this accounts for an estimated 30% of all congenital anomalies and 25% of infant mortality, placing a substantial but unmonitored financial strain on local neonatal and pediatric services.

I knew a Caucasian couple who where first cousins, there children all had heart defects

you can stop people from marrying, but you can't stop them procreating

for those repulsed but who are Labour voters, there was a private members’ bill in this parliament, but kier Starmer declined to act.

Not sure the relevance, KS is not the PM now. It’s okay to disagree with something a party does or doesn’t prioritise.

Hardly a reason to jump to Reform.

Weird to try and shoehorn an anti Labour comment into this really.

Why allow LGBT and not allow cousins to marry? If it disgusts you so much. Don't get one

I see kids affected by recessive genetic conditions all the time (work in a major paediatric centre).

When I was more junior I used to draw out the family trees that are a standard part of the work up for newly presenting children. There were high rates of consanguinity. I met several families where grandparents were two sets of sibling (so brother from family A marries sister from family B, sister from family A marries brother from family B. Both unions produce children. Those children then marry. So instead of the children having four grandparents they have two.).

I'm not sure that banning is the way to solve the issue but I do think the communities and religious leaders could do a whole lot more.

It doesn't help that many of the families don't avail themselves of the genetics and reproductive support available and just continue to have children so you see mutiple affected children in one family. And any non affected children grow up in a household with huge caring responsibilities that must limit them too.

The cost to the NHS, social services, housing and education budgets is often enormous.

??

You can stop posting the same comment over and over and over and over now.

It's been legal for nearly 500 years. It's very rare and we have such a vast population now that.the DNA is so much more watered down than 500 years ago that I don't see an issue.

I am not married to my cousin 🤣

But in a lot of cultures it’s not seen as weird that’s the thing . Even in this culture it wasn’t that weird a number of years ago . It’s commonplace and normal in some cultures . I am not saying I agree with it, I absolutely do not .