In most of Europe and the Americas, cousin marriage is extremely rare — only a few percent of people are married to their first or second cousins. But in other societies — mostly in the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia — it’s much more common. By some estimates, more than 50% of Pakistanis are married to their first or second cousins.
A major problem with cousin marriage is that the children of such unions are more likely to have mental and physical health problems. Why? It has to do with rare recessives.
I wonder what strain Pakistani immigrants have placed on Canadian health services.
