Marrying a cousin is usually considered a bad idea, because inbreeding can lead to harmful genetic conditions. But paradoxically, in some societies, marrying a related spouse is linked to having more surviving children, research suggests.

Is it bad to have a relationship with your cousin?

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 it wrong to date your first cousin?

Legally, you can date and be intimate with your first cousin, but if you are considering marriage, laws vary by state and country. As with all moral decisions, this is a personal, but complicated matter, given societal norms and the many who see cousin marriages as taboo.