If you’ve found your soulmate and you’re ready to get married to him, you’re probably quite excited.
However, if your new love happens to be your half-cousin, you might be wondering about the legality of getting married to someone you’re related to.
One question that you might have is, can you marry your half-cousin?
Yes, you can marry your half-cousin in most states, with the exception of about eight states.
There are also some states that don’t have any laws on marriage between half-cousins, so if you and your husband-to-be live in one of those states, you will need to seek further information for clarification before you can legally marry.
Here is an overview of some additional information about half-cousin marriages and other related information.
Who would want to marry a relative?
Many people agree that due to genetics, cousins that marry are often able to build a stronger bond.
When a couple has a stronger bond, it can increase the likelihood of a more successful and lasting marriage.
Half-cousins share so little DNA that they can’t be considered very close relatives like first cousins, so if half-cousins want to marry, it shouldn’t be a big deal.
How much DNA do half-cousins actually share?
Half-cousins share between 2%–11.25% of DNA, with an average of about 6.25%.
This is why if you wish to marry your half-cousin and have children together, it might be a good idea to undergo genetic testing to find out your odds of having healthy children.
In fact, even couples who aren’t related can benefit from genetic testing, because any couple could have an increased chance of having children with mental and/or physical disabilities.
What if a woman marries her half-cousin without disclosing that they’re related?
As long as the woman and her new husband answer all the questions honestly on the marriage license application, then they have nothing to worry about.
The couple is under no obligation to advertise the fact that they’re related in any manner to the public.
However, if they decide to announce that they’re half-cousins, then that is totally up to them and not required in any way.
Is there a chance of having disabled children in half-cousin marriages?
There is always the chance of any couple having a child that is mentally or physically disabled.
There may be a slight increase in the probability of giving birth to a disabled child, but since half-cousins don’t share as much DNA as first cousins, the chances are small.
If a couple is worried, they can always undergo pre-conception genetic testing which can provide them with more definitive answers.
What if others object to a woman marrying her half-cousin?
Other people, whether they’re family or friends, are always going to have their own opinion about a couple marrying, whether the married couple is related or not.
If every couple based whether they’re going to continue on with their marriage based on the opinions of others, many marriages would never have occurred.
If a woman is happy with her mate, regardless of the fact that they’re related, then she should go ahead and proceed with her plans.
What if a woman discovers that her husband is her half-cousin after they’re already married?
As long as the couple is fine continuing their marriage knowing they’re related, then there shouldn’t be any problems.
If the couple happens to live in a state in which marriage among half-cousins is legal, then there is nothing to worry about.
On the other hand, if the couple discovers that they live in a state where half-cousins cannot legally marry, then the marriage may become null and void.
Is it bad for a woman to marry her half-cousin?
“Bad” is a subjective term, so if a woman doesn’t believe it’s “bad” to marry her family member, then it doesn’t matter what anyone else believes.
However, if a woman is miserable in a marriage with her half-cousin, then sure, it’s bad for her to be in an unhappy marriage, regardless of who her spouse is.
On the other hand, if a woman is happily married to her half-cousin and they’re in love, then it was evidently a good decision for them to marry.
Why do people frown upon cousin marriages?
When people think about family members being in an intimate relationship, they often associate it with incest, which to most people is repulsive.
However, half-cousins getting married is completely different from more closely related family members, so it really isn’t considered incest.
As long as two people are very much in love and planning to get married, their relationship isn’t incestuous.
What do statistics say about half-cousin marriage?
According to statistics, there are about 250,000 American couples who are in relationships or marriages with their second or even first or half-cousins.
It is believed that this number is much higher, but due to many couples choosing to hide the fact that they’re cousins, the statistics aren’t as accurate as they could be.
Researchers believe that the number of cousin marriages is actually increasing because of immigration, as many people from other countries believe in marrying their cousins as opposed to outside individuals.
Can half-cousins marry in other countries without any stigma?
There are many countries where marrying your cousin is considered normal.
Countries like Australia, France, Turkey, Japan, India, among others, allow cousin marriages and will not frown at anyone who chooses to do so.
In fact, in Mexico, as well as many Islamic countries, as many as 50% of marriages are between cousins.
Why isn’t cousin marriage legal everywhere like it used to be?
Centuries ago, it was quite common for cousins to marry, and not only was it legal, but it was very accepted.
However, scientists and researchers noticed that cousins who produced offspring were more likely to have children with genetic defects. This is due to the high amount of DNA that cousins share with each other.
It also became obvious to the general population that more married cousins had disabled children than non-cousin couples, which is when some states began to outlaw marriage between cousins.
Should a woman have a large, extravagant wedding if she’s marrying her half-cousin?
If a woman has found her soulmate, then she should consider herself lucky, even if that person is her half-cousin.
If she wants to have a large and extravagant wedding, then there is no reason why she shouldn’t just because her soulmate happens to be her half-cousin.
Cousins have been marrying for years, and they deserve to have happy and extravagant weddings like anyone else if that’s what they desire.
If a woman lives in a state where half-cousin marriages are illegal, what are her options?
If a woman falls in love with her half-cousin and desires to marry him yet they live in a state where it’s illegal for them to marry, then they have several different options.
First of all, the couple could opt to relocate to a state or country where cousin marriages are legal.
Another option is to simply travel to a state where it’s considered legal and get married there. However, if the couple plans on continuing to reside in the state where they currently live, they need to realize that their marriage won’t be recognized and could even be illegal.
Is going to Las Vegas and having an “Elvis” wedding an option for half-cousins?
The state of Nevada does not allow cousins to marry, so traveling there for an “Elvis” wedding is not an option for a woman to marry her half-cousin.
In fact, the state of Nevada considers cousin marriage to be a criminal offense punishable by up to two years in jail or a ten thousand dollar fine.
It’s not even a good idea to go on vacation to Nevada if a couple is half-cousins, because sexual relations between cousins is also illegal and considered to be criminal as well as incestuous in this state.
As you can see, marrying your half-cousin is legal in many states, although such a marriage will likely be with many more obstacles than non-cousin marriages.
However, if you really feel that your half-cousin is the man for you and the two of you aren’t opposed to “weathering the storm” together, then, by all means, get married and do whatever makes you happy.
Many people truly believe that there are many positive benefits of cousins marrying, so maybe you and your sweetheart can enjoy some of those benefits as well.
