For years, officials downplayed concerns about the medical risks tied to first cousin marriage. Critics were told the dangers were overstated. Skeptics were accused of insensitivity. Meanwhile, hospital wards quietly filled with children battling complex genetic disorders, many of them born into families where close relative marriage is common.
Now a new revelation is pouring fuel on an already heated debate.
A major NHS trust in Manchester recently advertised a full time position titled “Neonatal Nurse – Close Relative Marriage.” The role, which was quietly removed after attracting attention, was specifically designed to work with families who marry first cousins. Instead of discouraging the practice, the job focused on outreach, testing, and cultural engagement.
According to the job description, nurses would “proactively work with at risk families practising close relative marriage to encourage a greater level of genetic testing and/or genetic awareness/literacy among families where consanguineous related disorders are present.”
The position also emphasized helping families make “informed choices in a culturally sensitive empowering way” and initiating “sensitive, appropriate conversations” about inherited conditions.
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