Genetic sexual attraction
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Genetic sexual attraction (GSA) is sexual attraction between close relatives, such as brother and sister, who first meet as adults.^{citation needed} The effect is also seen between cousins.^{citation needed}

GSA may occur as a consequence of adoption, when the adopted children knowingly or unknowingly encounter biological relatives. Although this is a rare consequence of adoptive reunions, the large number of adoptive reunions in recent years means that a larger number of people are affected.^{citation needed} It is generally highly distressing to both parties, as this sexual attraction is contrary to their socialized sexual and moral structures (the incest taboo).

When children are raised together in early childhood, this effect is reversed by a form of imprinting known as the Westermarck effect, which results in reduced sexual desire between the siblings; examples exist in Israeli kibbutzim and, formerly, in Chinese arranged marriages known as Shim-pua.

Contributing factors

Several factors may contribute to GSA. People commonly rank faces similar to their own as more attractive, trustworthy, etc. than average.^{citation needed} 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 partner. 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 sometime mate in the child. Such reunions typically produce complex emotions in all involved.

In reality

• The BBC reported in January 2008 a speech by British peer Lord Alton, which referenced a case in which a judge had annulled the marriage of an unnamed couple, who had discovered that they were twins separated at birth and adopted separately. "They met later in life and felt an inevitable attraction, and the judge had to deal with the consequences of the marriage that they entered into and all the issues of their separation."^[1] However, no corroborating evidence has been provided for the story, which bears many of the hallmarks of an urban legend.^[2]

• The Australian reported in April 2008 about a father and daughter who allegedly met for the first time as adults and within two weeks had sex;^[3] and that same couple was reported to have had a daughter together by the Herald Sun.^[4] However, whether or not this is a genuine GSA situation is open to doubt as it has now been reported that this father and daughter had actually been in contact several times during the daughter's childhood when she stayed with her father and stepmother. They had also spent time together on a trip away from the stepmother on at least one occasion.^[5] This story was further reported on by 60 Minutes, with the two discussing their relationship publicly for the first time.^[6]

• In February 2007, there was a report that a brother and sister couple in Germany were fighting against anti-incest laws. They grew up separately, met as adults, and have had four children.^[7]

See also

• Kin recognition
• Inbreeding

Notes

References

• Bereczkei, Tamas, et al. (2004). "Sexual imprinting in human mate choice". Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 271 (1544): 1129–1134. doi:10.1098/rspb.2003.2672. 

Further reading

• Greenberg, M., and Littlewood, R. (1995). "Post Adoption Incest and Phenotypic Matching: Experience, Personal Meanings and Biosocial Implications". British Journal of Medical Psychology 68: 29–44.

External links

• "Genetic sexual attraction", The Guardian, 17 May 2003.