A new study shows marrying your first cousin is not as bad as it seems. Second cousins share 6.25 percent of DNA while third cousins share 3 percent. The percentage increases more if the offspring of first cousins marry another first cousin.

Is first cousin marriage wrong?

Children of first-cousin marriages have an increased risk of autosomal recessive genetic disorders, and this risk is higher in populations that are already highly ethnically similar. Children of more distantly related cousins have less risk of these disorders, though still higher than the average population.

Is marrying first cousin good?

Ultimately, marrying your first cousin carries some risk. But the odds of healthy offspring dramatically improve with each new distance of relation. Second cousins share only 6.25 percent of their genes and third cousins share just over 3 percent.