Sadly, it does
My grandparents were first cousins, and their son and daughter (my mother) died of heart disease, caused by extremely high chloresterol levels, at 33 and 44 respectively. I have high chloresterol too. Still, my mum and my uncle (what I remember of him) were good people and if I should die younger than most, well, if my grandparents had married others, then I wouldn't be here at all.
(Vainomoinen went looking for the Sampo on, Thu 26 Aug 2010, 19:01, 1 reply)

If Im right..
It usually only causes problems when there are inherant illnesses and/or if marrying cousins is common within that particular family. Such as British muslims; www.channel4.com/programmes/dispatches/
Though the dispatches programme did seemed to be covertly racist in its approach it did show the very serious problems which can occur when such practices are commonplace within families.

Also; my parents went through genetic counselling before trying to have a child. Which would have sign posted any foreseeable problems.
(MissFlee tried again on, Thu 26 Aug 2010, 19:14, closed)

If anything,
I thought the dispatches program bent over backwards to be as PC as possible, allowing many people to defend what is a bad practice. Its a cut and dried issue, repeated generations of consanginous marriages hugely increases your chance of having kids with terrible genetic abnormalities. It should be discouraged.

Some communities recognise the problem of inheritable genetic conditions and try and test for it: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tay-sachs#Society_and_culture
If the test is positive, the Ashkenazi Jews will not marry. That is taking responsibility within a community.

British Muslims seem to be just putting their heads in the sand and treating it as a cultural attack instead of a health issue. Fact is, consanginous marriages are in general a bad idea. Just because some people get lucky doesn't mean they should be encouraged.

Personally I'd prefer it if there was a legal barrier to marrying or having sex with relatives within a certain degree, simply to protect the resulting children.
(The man with the flan swashed his buckle on, Thu 26 Aug 2010, 19:41, closed)