LogFAQs > #932727378

Making incest illegal because of the increased risk of genetic disorders just opens the doors to making it illegal for other couples to reproduce if they have an increased risk of passing on a genetic disorder. Should women over 40 be arrested if they get pregnant due to the risk of down syndrome? Should X-ray technicians have to be sterilized before they're allowed to be sexually active? Huntington's and polydactyly are both dominant alleles. Should people with those conditions be forbidden from having sex because of the 50% chance of passing them on (note: vastly higher than 7%)? Where are we drawing the line here?

This is a couple that consulted a geneticist to determine their actual risk, which is more than most non-related couples with an elevated risk of problems do. To ignore that and insist that they have an unacceptably-elevated risk despite concrete evidence to the contrary is just ridiculous, especially to the point of wanting to jail them for taking that presumed risk. Marrying your cousin is weird, yes, but don't try to pretend this is anything more serious than that.

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