First cousin marriage

[Sprinklewithsugar]

Trying to understand why this still happens in the UK between educated, intelligent people. Especially when the risks of genetic inbreeding are well known, not to mention the pressure it puts on the NHS.
Why do people opt to marry close cousins when there are surely other prospective spouses available?
Why do intelligent, educated people take part in such customs?
Genuinely curious.

I agree
especially the medical complications it has on babies.

not sure why this is still legally allowed and tiptoed over here in the uk

First cousin marriage is very prevalent in many cultures. The only way to override it in the UK would be to change the law. But this wouldn’t stop those who are already married moving here.

I expect it's an insular mindset borne of a gross mistrust of those outside the family - with the additional benefit of hording wealth within the group.

Not sure how anybody justifies it though, watching your children suffer and the genetic fitness of your family dissolve into a puddle.

Is that a dog whistle I can hear?

Is that the sounds of a cultural relativist slamming their head against reality?

Yeah. It seems willing cruel to babies. I mean how parents just create them without any regard to possible birth defects, chronic health issues that stem from genetic inbreeding and so on. Especially in familiea where the gene pool is already so small. A few families I know in my community are cases where marriage between first cousins goes back 3 or 4 generations that we know of. Like, why keep using such a small gene pool? Why don't these people see or care how risky and downright selfish it is?

https://www.rd.com/list/royals-who-married-their-relatives/

The Royal Family will have to change their ways too.

It wasn't just the royals, it was a practice common among the aristocracy generally until the genetic risks were known.

That’s interesting @ThePhantomoftheEcobubbleOpera - I didn’t know that. Thanks for sharing.

I think it should be illegal as we now clearly know the harmful effects for the children

And they were roundly mocked in artwork and literature.

I think it’s more to do with culture, religion and these people choosing religion and not wanting people to judge/ feel ashamed by what other people think

there doesn’t seem to be much care, maternal instinct for the possible high risk.

again, religion is chosen above all.

I may get slammed, but it appears to be a religion where people use it as and excuse to do wrong, and have control

sorry to say.

It’s been generations since there’s been a first cousin marriage so clearly they have changed their ways.

I personally don't care providing people don't have children. Just because it feels personally gross to me, I have no real moral objection outside of children.

I know that being older parents is associated with a greater risk of birth defects. And yet people make choices every day to try and conceive even though they're not the perfect age.

I don't think marrying your first cousin is a good idea. And in particular marrying your first cousin when your parents were first cousins. I hope it dies out. I think people should have access to clear information and women should be supported to choose their own partners and independence.

Yes, older parents do raise the risks and isolated first cousin marriages are comparably risky, iirc. What changes the game completely is when inbreeding continues for generations and the genetic degradation goes through the roof with each successive line.

My PILs are cousins... they didn't know until after they were married! Basically a big family fall out many years before, leading to contact being lost and a very pleasant surprise at the wedding! (Reunited the family)

With families being even more disjointed now with marriage break ups etc you could argue that everyone should have genetic testing just in case before having children.

There is nothing really wrong with marriage of first cousins who don't have children. Even if they have children, how I understand it, if the first cousins' marriage is a unique occurrence within the family, it isn't that bad.

The issue comes when it is done repeatedly within a family clan. And it is hard to write legislation which would allow something a bit, but not too much of it.
Trying to legislate against it would open a big can of worms - officially forbidding people with some disabilities from breeding? Forbidding poor people from having child NR 3?

And it is hard to write legislation which would allow something a bit, but not too much of it

Banning first cousin marriages is the only way you can legislate for this and it seems a small price to avoid the cascade of pain and suffering when inbreeding is endemic.

Perhaps I am sheltered but I’ve never met any married cousins to my knowledge. Is it common place?

They're not intelligent and educated??

I swear I saw something recently about this being dismissed in government? Didn’t they want to raise it to change the law and it was dismissed?

I don’t understand why it’s still legal if it brings complications for future generations. Mind you, the powers that be don’t seem to give much of a fuck about future generations so why should this subject be any different.

There's no drive to prioritise harmed children when there's a political risk that it will be framed as a dog whistle.

It's to keep the money 'in the family'.

Studies have shown it creates health problems for the children produced by such unions.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c241pn09qqjo

Sadly it's nothing new.
In the Middle Ages and up to the 18th Century parts of England with poor transport links, and therefore a small available gene pool, created what were unkindly called "village idiots".

In some areas with a high ethnic population, yes -

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2013/jul/04/marriage-first-cousins-birth-defects