Accidental incest is
sexual activity
Human sexual activity, human sexual practice or human sexual behaviour is the manner in which humans experience and express their sexuality. People engage in a variety of sexual acts, ranging from activities done alone (e.g., masturbation) ...
or
marriage
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...
between persons who were unaware of a family relationship between them which would be considered
incest
Incest ( ) is human sexual activity between family members or close relatives. This typically includes sexual activity between people in consanguinity (blood relations), and sometimes those related by affinity (marriage or stepfamily), adopti ...
uous.
The laws of many jurisdictions
void incestuous marriages, even if entered into without awareness of the kinship. If an incestuous relationship is suspected,
DNA testing
Genetic testing, also known as DNA testing, is used to identify changes in DNA sequence or chromosome structure. Genetic testing can also include measuring the results of genetic changes, such as RNA analysis as an output of gene expression, o ...
may be used. Some jurisdictions permit offspring of IVF donations access to donation records or to adoption records.
Causes
People may be unaware of a
kinship relationship between them in a number of circumstances. For example,
artificial insemination
Artificial insemination is the deliberate introduction of sperm into a female's cervix or uterine cavity for the purpose of achieving a pregnancy through in vivo fertilization by means other than sexual intercourse. It is a fertility treatment ...
with an anonymous
donated sperm may result in offspring being unaware of any biological relations, such as paternity or half siblings. To reduce the likelihood of accidental incest, fertility clinics usually limit the number of times that a donor's sperm may be used. Some countries have laws limiting the number of children a donor can father, while others limit sperm donations based on family numbers to enable one family to have true siblings.
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
allows those conceived by artificial means to find out if they are related to a person they are considering marrying.
Accidental incest may also arise in the following situations:
* Children separated from their family at birth
*
Child abandonment
* Sexual exploration
Genetic sexual attraction
Genetic sexual attraction is a concept in which a strong sexual attraction may develop between close blood relatives who first meet as adults. There is no evidence for genetic sexual attraction being an actual phenomenon, and the hypothesis is re ...
is a pseudoscientific explanation offered for cases of sexual attraction and relations between adults who were not aware of their
close blood relations.
Notable cases
*In 2008, during a debate on the
Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008 (c 22) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The Act constitutes a major review and update of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990.
According to the Department of Health th ...
in the
House of Lords
The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by appointment, heredity or official function. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminste ...
,
Lord Alton of Liverpool claimed that a British brother and sister, who were twins separated at birth, married without knowing of their relationship. According to Lord Alton, the relationship was discovered soon after their wedding, and the marriage annulled. The case was raised regarding whether adoptions should be kept secret. Questions were raised about whether the story is actually true, as Lord Alton was known to oppose the act due to its provision allowing the creation and use of animal-human hybrid stem cells for medical purposes.
*An engaged couple in South Africa, who had been together for five years and were expecting a child, discovered that they were brother and sister just before their wedding. They were raised separately and met as adults in college. Just before the wedding, their parents met and they came to realize that they were siblings. The couple broke off the relationship after the discovery.
See also
*''
Absalom, Absalom!
''Absalom, Absalom!'' is a novel by the American author William Faulkner, first published in 1936. Taking place before, during, and after the American Civil War, it is a story about three families of the American South, with a focus on the life o ...
''
*
''Andorra'' (play)
*
Mordred
*''
Oedipus Rex''
*
Westermarck effect
The Westermarck effect, also known as reverse sexual imprinting, is a psychological hypothesis that people tend not to be attracted to peers with whom they lived like siblings before age six. This hypothesis was first proposed by Finnish anthr ...
*
Yrsa
Yrsa, Yrse, Yrs or Urse (fl. 6th century)The dating has never been a matter of controversy. It is inferred from the internal chronology of the sources themselves and the dating of Hygelac's raid on Frisia to c. 516. It is also supported by arch ...
References
{{Assisted reproductive technology
Accidents
Incest
Sperm donation