US EditionFirst-cousin marriages has ‘benefits’, says NHS guidance despite birth defect risk
NHS guidance was withdrawn after praise for first-cousin marriage sparked backlash over increased genetic risks and costs, with up to 20% of congenital cases in some cities linked to this practice.
- Last week, NHS England's Genomics Education Programme published an article asking whether first-cousin marriage should be banned, but it was removed after backlash and the NHS later apologised.
- Framing the debate historically, the report noted first-cousin marriage has been legal since the 1500s and cited benefits like stronger family support and economic advantages.
- Research shows first-cousin couples had a defect rate of 6.5% versus 2.5% in the general population, and the Born in Bradford study tracked more than 13,000 children with high consanguinity among Pakistani-origin families.
- Conservative MP Richard Holden pressed his bill to ban first-cousin marriages, which returned to the Commons last week ahead of a second reading early next year, while Wes Streeting, British Health Secretary, demanded an apology over NHS guidance.
- International moves and demographic data show the UK government favours education and counselling, focusing on British Pakistani populations amid pressure from countries with bans like Norway and China and a 2021 Census figure of over 1.6 million people of Pakistani origin.
28 Articles
28 Articles
What Britain’s Cousin Marriage Controversy Tells Us
In the year 1075, under the leadership of Archbishop Lanfranc of Canterbury, an Italian, the Synod of London decreed that marriages with first cousins, sixth cousins, and any cousins in between were forbidden. Nine hundred and fifty years later, in September of 2025, the Genomics Education Programme of the National Health Service of England published a blog stating that marriage between first cousins had “various potential benefits” (mainly to d…
UK NHS Encourages First-Cousin Marriages
The Islamic state of the United Kingdom updated health guidelines to appease new residents. According to the National Health Institute, there are “benefits” to first-cousin marriage “despite birth defect risk.” The United Kingdom has fallen. The once-trusted national health agency stated that the benefits of inbreeding outweigh the disadvantages due to “stronger extended family support systems and economic advantages.” “Genetic counseling, aware…
There is no ban on first-cousin marriage in Britain until October 2025, but the debate continues. The government's stance on the issue is being criticized as "promoting incest." Supporters of the practice say that public awareness and genetic testing should be used, rather than stricter laws to completely ban it. This controversy has become part of a broader "culture war" in Britain.
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