Can you date your cousin?

Hi. freshyax. No. I cannot date my cousin at all. It is just not acceptable in my country that I live in. There is nothing wrong with hanging out with a cousin, but to date them is just not acceptable at all. They are supposed to be family members of a blood relation, not two non blood related lovers. An attraction between two cousins is something that should not go further at all.

Why not? I think there is no odd thing in dating your cousin. I always find it strange that some people put some malice of having seen cousins on a date.

There's nothing wrong, as far as I know, with dating your cousin. It depends what your culture is (and what 'dating' actually implies), though, as to whether people around you will accept it. In some places, the marriage of first cousins is forbidden, so dating a first cousin would be considered undesirable (and even disgusting). In the UK, marriage between first cousins is legal and, though it is somewhat unusual, is accepted. Many famous (and not-so famous) people have married their first cousins. In parts of the USA, it is illegal and considered incest! It very much depends on what the law and the common customs are in Nigeria.

Well, if this "date" does not involve something else, then it should be okay. But as a whole, I don't think it is wise to pursue it seriously, to the point of marriage. But unfortunately, these days, young people are generally unaware as to why they shouldn't pursue it to a point of marriage because they tend to think that these restrictions are simply a matter of tradition or superstition. On the contrary, they are health reasons associated with the problem of consanguinity. If you are interested, you can check on this link to find out more... http://www.futurescopes.com/consanguineous-marriages

In some countries this is a taboo. Society does not look at deviant behavior kindly. Another reason why someone should never date their cousin specially those who are your first degree is the risk of inbreeding. This may cause genetic disorders in a child. If both persons contain a recessive gene of a genetic disorder it is likely that the disease will manifest in their children. And besides how will you tell it to your family that your dating a cousin? The family will surely disapprove.