Cousin Marriages, Should They Be Made Illegal?

[youngmafbog]

Seems that it causes defects, must admit I wasnt aware that it was that risky, and we're not just talking the Rednecks here.

What about the potential cost to the NHS if new cultures have a more open acceptance of them?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5927581/The-tragic-truth-cousin-marriages.html

[dannyk13]

A bit of a contentious issue.There are differing opinions on it:-
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/theres-nothing-wrong-with-cousins-getting-married-scientists-say-1210072.html

[Old_Geezer]

Loath as I am to have the State dictate lifestyle to the citizen, there is genuine reason for looking at this. It's well known that the closer genetically a couple are the more risk of defects in any offspring. And cousins are borderline close which is why it's accepted in some cultures and not others. I think there's a genuine case for including first cousins in the incest laws.

[kvalidir]

the problem with 'cousin marriages' in the Pakistani community is that they are so common they occur again and again in someone's blood line, it's not just a one off event of say me marrying my cousin. That would be unlikely to result in recessive gene disorders because it would be a one off, however if my mother had married he cousin and my grandmother married hers that makes it a great deal more likely, so it's more of a culture specific issue than something which applies to the whole population, thus i'd be unwilling to advioate changing the law.

[kvalidir]

Crikey sorry about the typos in that :/

[ummmm]

Like Kval says it's cousins marrying cousins who have children who marry cousins.

I watched a programme once and out of 7 children 5 were disabled. All from cousins marrying cousins.

[woofgang]

I don't think it should be made illegal but I think that genetic screening is sensible and should be encouraged. I believe that this has happened in traditional Jewish communities for some time as they have the same limited gene pool problem.

[kvalidir]

Yep absolutely true Woof x

[NoMercy]

I worked in Paediatrics for nearly a year and there were a number of children born with problems whose parents were consanguineous cousins.

It's a terrible shame really.

[TheChair]

It's a big thing in the British royal family too.

[Old_Geezer]

And a reason for integration rather than staying an insular community, as well.

[woofgang]

OG what you say is not quite true. If neither of the people have any genetic anomalies or the genes for inherited diseases, then there is virtually no risk. The problem is that if related people have the genes for inherited diseases then it's more likely to be for the same inherited disease and so the children can be born with the disease. That's a bit muddled but IYSWIM

[Jackdaw33]

I believe that there are certain states in the US which forbid marriage between first cousins.

[The_Rim_Greaper]

yes ban it...its inbreeding and nature has a effective ways of dealing with it, generally not to peoples liking either

[woofgang]

The Chair no it isn't.

[Cloverjo]

Not that big really, TheChair. I know the Queen and Prince Philip are related, but it's something like 10th cousin 4 times removed. (Not exact.)

[Old_Geezer]

Too complex a law process to put into practice to civer exceptions. Just because some can get away with it doesn't validate it as a practice. As a group cousins have higher risk.

[Old_Geezer]

COVER !

[Canary42]

My goodness, the Mail does scrape the barrel at times in its relentless racist agenda.

[Old_Geezer]

Applies to all races, Canary.
indeed inter-racial couplings have less risk.

[Jackdaw33]

The Queen and Prince Philip are third cousins, both descended from Queen Victoria.