Why do cousins fall in love with each other

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Updated: May 2, , IST. What happens when romance enters the picture between two people, who are perceived as siblings by society at large. TOI explores Among the many unusual relationships being explored in an ongoing television show, is one of cousins being in love.

Although some communities do allow marriages between cousins, it is difficult for most to imagine a romantic relationship between first cousins as they are considered siblings. However, there have been cases where romantic feelings creep in inspite of being aware of the complications. Comments 0. Be the first one to comment. Read All Comments Post a Comment. Visual Stories Right arrow. Life Style Celeb dads who prove that divorce isn't the end of parenting duties. Entertainment Let Janhvi Kapoor show you what to wear to the beach.

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Hands up who thought about dating their cousin? In the UK it is legal to marry your cousin; in parts of West Africa there's a saying, "Cousins are made for cousins"; but in America it is banned or restricted in 31 states. Restrictions include genetic counselling or that couples are past the age of reproduction.

I've never lusted after my cousins, and I'm confident the feeling is mutual. My cousins are people I've known from childhood; I've been bathed with them and we've accompanied each other to weddings and funerals. Not as close as a brother, but close enough, thanks. Her mom says the idea "floored" her a bit, but because she couldn't stop the marriage she was leery of voicing opposition in fear of losing contact with her daughter.

They lost one friend whom, Caren said, they just didn't hear from anymore after they announced their union. The laws date back hundreds of years to the time when the Catholic Church campaigned against cousin marriages because in the Bible Leviticus says, "None of you shall approach to any that is near of kin. Regardless, Caren and Brian had a church wedding in Virginia, one of 25 states where cousin marriage is legal.

One of the reasons cousin marriage is taboo, is the assumption they will have kids with birth defects. But a new groundbreaking study funded by the National Society of Genetic Counselors revealed that some beliefs about cousin marriage were unfounded. Robin Bennett, who headed the study, told ABC News that the risks of having a child with a cousin were about "2 [percent] to 3 percent" above the average population's risk for having a child with birth defects or mental retardation.

Other risk factors are higher. For example, there's a 10 percent chance that a year-old woman will give birth to kids with chromosomal defects. If one parent has a genetic disease, like Huntington's, they have a 50 percent chance of passing it on. She advocates that cousins who are romantically involved have genetic counseling before they get pregnant. Brian and Caren went for counseling and were told the risk for birth defects was low, but their kids might have asthma, which runs in the family.

They now have two boys, ages 14 and 10, and both have asthma.