Genetic sexual attraction (GSA) is a term that describes the phenomenon of sexual attraction between close relatives, such as siblings or half-siblings, a parent and offspring, or first and second cousins, who first meet as adults.[1]
Contributing factorsSeveral factors may contribute to GSA. People commonly rank faces similar to their own as more attractive, trustworthy, etc. than average. [4] Heredity produces substantial physical similarity between close relatives. However, Bereczkei (2004) attributes this in part to childhood imprinting on the opposite-sex parent. Shared interests and personality traits are commonly considered desirable in a mate. The heritability of these qualities is a matter of great debate; to whatever extent they are heritable, they will tend to cluster in close relatives. In cases of parent-child attraction, the parent may recognize traits of their own in the child and ultimately end up mating with them. Such reunions typically produce complex emotions in all involved.[5]
[edit] InstancesA brother and sister couple in Germany, the Stübings, fought their country's anti-incest laws. They grew up separately, met as adults, and have had four children. Their appeal was rejected in 2008, upholding Germany's anti-incest laws.[6][7]
Kathryn Harrison published a memoir in the 1990s regarding her four-year incestuous relationship with her biological father, whom she had not seen for almost 20 years prior to beginning the relationship, titled The Kiss.[8]
A couple in South Africa who had been together for five years and are expecting a child discovered that they are brother and sister just before their wedding. They were raised up separately and met as adults in college.[9]
Garry Ryan at 18 left his pregnant girlfriend and he moved to America. The daughter, Penny Lawrence, grew up and later set out to find her missing father. When they met, they "both felt an immediate sexual attraction". They then lived together as a couple and as of April 2012 were expecting their first child together. [10]
In August 2012, a 32-year-old father and his 18-year-old daughter were convicted of incest after they admitted to having an incestuous relationship which began in August 2010 when the girl was 16. The incest continued until May 2012 and resulted in the couple having a daughter, who was born in 2011. The teen, who was conceived in an incestuous relationship between the male offender and his 30-year-old foster mother, told the court she was in love with her father and that they had been living as 'husband and wife' after meeting each other in 2010.[11]