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When Texas made marriage between first cousins illegal last year, that left 19 states and the District of Columbia as havens for those who want to get jiggy with the offspring of their aunt or uncle. Six more states allow marriage between first cousins under certain circumstances. All states allow marriage between second or more-distant cousins. Laws against "kissin' cousin" marriages stem from fear that the progeny of such unions have a much higher chance of being afflicted with birth
defects and/or winding up on the "Jerry Springer Show." The sources we checked all suggest such prohibitions may be overcautious. A 2002 research study concluded that the offspring of first-cousin couples "inherited recessive genetic disorders, such as cystic fibrosis and Tay-Sachs disease, in 7% to 8% of cases." That's 2 to 3% greater than the general population, which is significant but much lower than the overall perception. And since genetic testing can now alert couples to heightened risk, the danger is potentially even lower. Many societies actually encourage marriage between cousins; the U.S. is "virtually alone among developed nations" in outlawing
them. If you're still not convinced, perhaps a little name-dropping will help. Charles Darwin, who knew a thing or two about genetics, married his first cousin. Other famous cousin-marriers include Queen Victoria, Rudy Giuliani, and FDR.
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