Today we will examine such an interesting concept as incest.

Permitted Incest

For those unfamiliar, incest is sexual relations between relatives. Nowadays, this concept is often discussed in a socially negative light, and sometimes even illegally—sex between parents and children, which sometimes includes pedophilia. In this article, we discuss only the acceptable form of sex in which no one is harmed and the relationship occurs between adults who have made their own decisions.

It’s worth noting that while this phenomenon was once considered normal, today many condemn such intimate relationships. Scientists suggest that incest fell out of fashion only because incest resulted in children born with certain abnormalities. People assumed that these abnormalities arose specifically from sexual relations between relatives.

When discussing the causes of incest, we can recall the lessons of history: incest was practiced by monarchical countries, namely by the elite of society, who wanted to concentrate power in the country in their own hands, which meant that the mixing of blood between people from different social strata would lead to the emergence of a large number of contenders for the throne.

In modern Russia, marriages between immediate relatives in the ascending or descending line, between full and half-siblings, and between adoptive parents and adopted children are prohibited by law. However, concealing family ties is also common, as civil registry offices are not required to verify documents to establish this connection before a marriage. If the violation is discovered after the wedding, the perpetrators face a fine, but the marriage will not be invalidated. Incest is tolerated in some countries (India, the Netherlands), while in others (for example, Germany and Denmark), even engaging in sexual relations with a relative can result in imprisonment.

Consequences of Incest

In this article, we would like to highlight the main risks that may arise in the case of incest:

1. Infertility. Incest negatively impacts the health of both partners, which can lead not only to your disability to conceive with your brother’s child but also to your eventual infertility.
2. Short children. It is believed that dwarfism may have resulted from consanguineous intercourse.
3. Clubfoot children. This defect was suffered by the most famous person in history – Tutankhamun, who was born as a result of incest.
4. Asymmetrical body parts. It’s no secret that people can’t have identical right and left sides of their bodies, but children born from incest are particularly prone to pronounced body asymmetry, including facial asymmetry. This defect can even have a detrimental effect on the child’s future life.
5. A strange skull shape. Scientists note that this abnormality is also a consequence of incest: it is clearly visible among Egyptians, who previously frequently practiced sexual inbreeding.

Nowadays, incest isn’t a crime; it’s most likely an unacceptable relationship that will be frowned upon by your family and other loved ones. However, this doesn’t mean you can’t continue the relationship and have children. It’s just that everyone should understand the full implications of incest in its entirety.

Sex between relatives is unacceptable in our society, but in our country, it’s not illegal if we’re talking about incest between adult relatives. What’s your opinion on incest?