Marrying in the Family : Biology Disputes Taboos Surrounding 'Kissing Cousins'

Everyone wants to fall in love; it's the stuff of movies, songs and dreams. But what if you fall in love with your cousin?

For one couple, romance bloomed among two cousins who met as adults after a 20 year absence.

"We ran into each other, at a family reunion," Christie Smith told ABCNEWS. "And we just struck it off."

"It was very scary, at first. I thought that it was something that was very wrong," said Smith.

Cousins who fall in love have a right to voice concerns. After all, marrying a cousin just isn't done, right?

At least that's what we're taught to believe. Only primitive people who live in isolated places marry cousins, and it's dangerous and leads to creating stupid children.

Or does it? A new study reveals the genetic risks associated with this type of pairing are not as great as once believed.

And consider this — Albert Einstein's parents were cousins, and he married his cousin, too. FDR and Eleanor Roosevelt were cousins, so were Prince Albert and Queen Victoria and former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani was briefly married to a second cousin.

In America, marrying your cousin is legally allowed in 26 states and every year about 200,000 cousins wed. Worldwide, it's much more common — 20 percent of all married couples are cousins. In some Middle Eastern countries, almost half of all marriages are to cousins.

"The overbearing concept is that, you know, 'cousins can't get married,' " said Brian Wagner, who has been married to his cousin Caren for 12 years. His dad and his wife's mom are brother and sister.

"Some people see it as 'inbreeding,' or, you know, 'incest,' or something terrible like that," said Wagner.

Caren said she didn't plan on their shared future, although her mom noticed they always liked each other.

"They played together, they fought over toys together. And they just had a happy good relationship as kids will," said Pat Bradfield. "They were real kissin' cousins."

They initially grew up in the same area, but Brian's family then moved away. Years later when Caren decided to visit, their lives changed.

"When she showed up at the airport terminal and come off the plane, it's just like everything came rushing back again," said Brian.

"It developed beyond a 'friendship,' into a 'OK, do you want to get married this weekend or next?' " said Caren.

Her mom says the idea "floored" her a bit, but since she couldn't stop the marriage she was leery of voicing opposition in fear of losing contact with her daughter. Instead, she offered some advice.

"In a marriage such as you're contemplating, you have to remember that you could divorce your husband but you can't divorce the whole family," said Pat.

They did lose one friend who, Caren said, they just didn't hear from anymore after they announced their union.

Twenty-four states still forbid cousin marriages. The United States is the only country in the world where these laws still exist. "A lot of these laws have been on the books forever and they have just not gotten changed," said Brian.

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 26 states where cousin marriage is legal. "We talked to our minister … and he knew and he didn't have an issue with marrying us," said Brian.

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 are unfounded.

Robin Bennett, who headed the study, told ABCNEWS the risks of having a child with a cousin are about "2 to 3 percent" above the average population's risk for having a child with birth defects or mental retardation.

She says while there are risks, they're "not as bad" as people perceive. Other risk factors are higher. For example, there's a 10 percent chance that a 41-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. Bennett gives parents the risks but would not tell them not to have kids. She advocates that cousins who are romantically involved have genetic counseling before they're 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 12 and 8, and both have asthma. But they don't think twice about their parents being cousins. They're also at the top of their classes in school.

The rest of the family has come around and say they couldn't be happier with how things have worked out. Ultimately, Caren and Brian say it may have been their family connection that led them to fall in love.

"We could communicate," said Brian. "We had the same values, as far as raising children … It's a match."

" In some Middle Eastern countries, almost half of all marriages are to cousins."

Well that's who WE wanna be just like! How many generations would it take until we have $hit for brains and live in a hellhole?

Adding John to the growing list of stooopid journalists. The laws and society aren't concerned with cousins in general marrying each other, but FIRST cousins marrying each other. Leaving that particular word out of his editorial rendered it to nothing but a waste of time, energy, and loss of squirrel homes.

Allowing first cousins to marry is also opening the door for double first cousins to marry. I went to school with doubles and they were doing a bit more than kissing. Their result was a child with severe brain damage who has to have 24 hour care paid for by tax dollars. I once had clients who couldn't understand why each of their 6 kids had severed handicaps and two died. Their doctors were at a loss too, that is until I got their birth certificates. Seems they failed to bring up the fact they were half brother and sister! Disgusting what both couples did to innocent children.

There's a big difference between marrying first cousins and marrying a fourth or fifth cousin (which Franklin and Eleanor were). My great-aunt married her fifth cousin (we never would have known except they were both descended from the same Revolutionary War soldier). They never had any children (I don't know why, ladies didn't discuss such things in front of the children in those days) but I doubt it had anything to do with their single shared ancestor five generations back.

Isn't is plain dumb how the article doesn't mention what kind of cousins? 1st? 2nd? 5th?

The point this article misses is that ONE first-cousin marriage in a bloodline is not particularly dangerous. It's when they start adding up in the family tree that inherited defects start to concentrate. What are sometimes called "double cousins" or even "quadruple cousins" are descended from multiple first-cousin marriages.

Like you I have more concern about the cumulative effect of such inbreeding done over generations. By inbreeding I would include first, second and maybe third cousins

For one thing I did not mean you specifically

For another I basically said the same thing. If the law is okay with it - fine, don't expect me to condone it though. If the law is against, do not force your ideas upon me - go through the process. Exactly opposite the situation in Portland, SF and NM.

You are so afraid that I want to force some moral code on you that you never really read what I write.

I read an article a few days ago, about the increase in birth defects in closed muslim societies. (Iran in particular). Specifically, it discussed cousins marrying. It revealed a story quite the opposite from this , "not a problem" scenario. Sure, one generation won't (generally)cause much of a problem in offspring. And if the couple are older, and not going to have children, no problem.
But if intermarrying is allowed to continue, the rise in genetic defects increases exponentially . There are sound genetic reasons people should NOT intermarry.
This story doesn't go beyond the first generation of children produced from cousins marrying. That's where the troubles begin, and it seems irresponsible not to warn people.

It is if I have to pay for: the medical expenses of the resulting STD,

Accepting your larger point, I don't think sex between cousins is more apt to transmit STDs than sex between any other two people.

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