First cousin marriage, Gross or not?

[dilbertschalter]

Kiss x Sis

Not blood related.

Anyway, I'm pretty sure biological defects still have a pretty high chance of occurring in first cousin relations.  There's still a direct blood relation there.

Unless it's repeated over several generations, the risk is fairly small.

[CarpetCrawler]

Ah crrap! that's right! XD thx, well they turned out okay XD (in a way)

You know, other than the bickering that was occurring between the both of them. And the fact that they married for money. And the fact that their son had romantic feelings for his cousin, no doubt something inherited from his parents. And the fact that their son murdered because of how strong his feelings were, no doubt not helped by how his own parents treated him.

Kiss x Sis

Not blood related.

Anyway, I'm pretty sure biological defects still have a pretty high chance of occurring in first cousin relations.  There's still a direct blood relation there.

Unless it's repeated over several generations, the risk is fairly small.

But there's still a risk. I wouldn't call it "fairly small" either, in fact, incests INCREASE the chances of biological defects at more than a fairly small margin. It doesn't matter if it's not repeated over several generations, the risk is still there. Of course it doesn't happen to every child born through incestuous relationships, but it's still a very harmful risk. Not even just biological defects btw, other defects may occur. Let's not forget that you're combining the same genes to make up the genetic material, so if both parents have the same gene for a certain disease, which is going to be fairly common when the sexual relationship is between family members, you're heavily increasing the risk of the child having the same disease. In some cases, you're doubling the risk.

Of course, the more distant the relative, the less the risk, but it's still there, even with very distant relatives.

A great read on the subject is available here, backed by various interesting pieces of literature.

[Eve]

Ah crrap! that's right! XD thx, well they turned out okay XD (in a way)

You know, other than the bickering that was occurring between the both of them. And the fact that they married for money. And the fact that their son had romantic feelings for his cousin, no doubt something inherited from his parents. And the fact that their son murdered because of how strong his feelings were, no doubt not helped by how his own parents treated him.

Bickering = there were no love, it can be solve if there's actual love, plus, couples bicker all the time
Married for money = can be solve by love
Liking his cousin = well, it's okay in Japan, so I don't think it's just something inherited, more like society accepts it in Japan, thus, it can occur naturally like non-relative attraction
The son murdered someone = it's because of how his parents treated him, if the parents were not cousin, but were the same type of people, who married for money, bickers all the time, he would still be a murderer XD

[Abs.]

So the question may be:  Is first cousin marriage still gross if both cousins are sterile anyway? 

[Eve]

So the question may be:  Is first cousin marriage still gross if both cousins are sterile anyway? 

Is it? and what is "gross" really? like immoral "gross"?

[Abs.]

So the question may be:  Is first cousin marriage still gross if both cousins are sterile anyway?   :P

Is it? and what is "gross" really? like immoral "gross"?

You're the one asking the question! 

[blurfbreg]

The short explanation is that grossness, in a sense, is a matter of social construction (Social construction is TOO extensive to say in one go)

There is the genetic defect factor though.

[ranger]

Uh... in terms of real life, Eleanor Rosevelt and FDR got married, and they were first cousins.(Or was it distant? I forgot.)

VERRRY DISTANT, America would be in an uproar if they were first cousins, I believe they were like 4th or 5th cousins

[CarpetCrawler]

Uh... in terms of real life, Eleanor Rosevelt and FDR got married, and they were first cousins.(Or was it distant? I forgot.)

VERRRY DISTANT, America would be in an uproar if they were first cousins, I believe they were like 4th or 5th cousins

They were 5th.

[Abs.]

But Einstein, he married his first cousin.

[CarpetCrawler]

But Einstein, he married his first cousin.

They never had children, IIRC. The children in that family were from Elsa's first marriage.

[ranger]

But Einstein, he married his first cousin.

Really?  I didn't know that,

Khinkhun, I think it's gross because of the genetic defects...plus, most of my cousins are female so..I think its gross to even think of marrying/intimately loving one of my cousins.

[Eve]

http://www.cousincouples.com/?page=facts

so did Charles Darwin, and we know who he was

hmmm.... even he made that decision...

But Einstein, he married his first cousin.

Really?  I didn't know that,

Khinkhun, I think it's gross because of the genetic defects...plus, most of my cousins are female so..I think its gross to even think of marrying/intimately loving one of my cousins.

Uhh, I'm not telling you to marry them, lol, just asking would be be "gross" if you see cousin couples *shrugs*

[Jd-]

By 5th cousins, you honestly may as well not even be related.

Khinkhun, I think it's gross because of the genetic defects...plus, most of my cousins are female so..I think its gross to even think of marrying/intimately loving one of my cousins.

Hypothesis: ranger's family has a genetic defect in that the offspring inevitably turn out to be female. Thus, ranger is female.

YEAH, I SAID IT.

[Callid]

Anyway, I'm pretty sure biological defects still have a pretty high chance of occurring in first cousin relations.  There's still a direct blood relation there.

Correct.

Wikipedia says they do not differ from the biological defect risk increase that a woman will get if she gives birth at age 41 instead of forty (if said cousin marriage isn't one of many first-cousin marriages in a row):

In April 2002, the Journal of Genetic Counseling released a report which estimated the average risk of birth defects in a child born of first cousins at 1.7–2.8% over an average base risk for non-cousin couples of 3%, or about the same as that of any woman over age 40.  In terms of mortality, a 1994 study found a mean excess pre-reproductive mortality rate of 4.4%, While another study published in 2009 suggests the rate may be closer to 3.5%.  Put differently, first-cousin marriage entails a similar increased risk of birth defects and mortality as a woman faces when she gives birth at age 41 rather than at 30.  Critics argue that banning first-cousin marriages would make as much sense as trying to ban childbearing by older women.

Therefore, the risk isn't very notable.