# What? Genetic sexual attraction **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 25, 2015, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-genetic-sexual-attraction/710855 "2015-01-25T14:15:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2015, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-genetic-sexual-attraction/710855/1 "2015-01-25T14:15:37Z")
I don’t even know where to put this thread because I don’t know whether I am asking a question, starting debate or what. I’m just astonished at what I have read in Salon about a phenomenon called “genetic sexual attraction” that happens between closely related people—like fathers-daughters brothers-sisters—when they have been estranged from each other until adulthood. Apparently when they finally meet its not uncommon for them to become uncontrollably hot for each other. > **[Genetic sexual attraction](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetic_sexual_attraction)** > > Genetic sexual attraction is a hypothesis that attraction may be a product of genetic similarities.: 200  While there is scientific evidence for the position,: 200  some commentators regard the hypothesis as pseudoscience. The term is also used for a phenomenon in which biologically related persons separated at a young age develop intense feelings—including sexual attraction—upon the restoration of contact. > The term was popularized in the United States in the late 1980s by Barbara Gonyo, the f... > **[A woman describes her sexual relationship with her estranged father](https://www.salon.com/2015/01/15/a_woman_describes_her_sexual_relationship_with_her_estranged_father/)** > > Genetic Sexual Attraction is a phenomenon more prevalent than you'd think. Science of Us found one woman's story > [@](#): > > Science of Us spoke with an 18-year-old “from the Great Lakes region” who has been in a serious relationship with her previously estranged father for two years. The two are engaged to be married, but did not see each other for 12 years before they reunited; the woman explains that when they first saw each other, when she was 16, their attraction was immediate: > > … > > The two began a sexual relationship within the first few days they were together: > > ``` > We stopped and said that we didn’t know what was going on but admitted that we had strong feelings for each other. We discussed whether it was wrong and then we kissed. And then we made out, and then we made love for the first time. That was when I lost my virginity. > > ... > > **What was it like?** > There’s a reason I lost my virginity to him — because I’d never felt comfortable with any other man. It was insanely sensual. It lasted for about an hour and there was a lot of foreplay. We both had orgasms. We are so similar so it’s so easy to sexually please each other. For example, we both hate neck-biting. I’ve never been in a more passionate, loving, fulfilling situation. > > ``` Some possible questions—Does anyone have knowledge of this? Friends/acquaintances/relatives? What happens in these situations? The woman quoted in the Salon article said she did research and concluded that it was safe for her to conceive her genetic father’s child. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2015, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-genetic-sexual-attraction/710855/2 "2015-01-25T15:57:08Z")
It has been discussed [before on this board](https://www.google.com/search?q=site%3Aboards.straightdope.com+%22genetic+sexual+attraction%22&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8) but only very in passing when discussing other aspects of incest or relationships, rather than in depth. (Aren’t these the people who caused the news froofraw that led to the thread about the [New Jersey consenting adult incest](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=746756) law, or rather lack thereof? In a way, they have created a situation that actually harms “innocent” cases of GSA, by riling up public opinion demand for a crackdown.) ---
**Author:** ![Belowjob2.0](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Belowjob2.0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Belowjob2.0)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2015, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-genetic-sexual-attraction/710855/3 "2015-01-25T18:39:16Z")
Selfish gene theory? ---
**Author:** ![Arrendajo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Arrendajo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arrendajo)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2015, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-genetic-sexual-attraction/710855/4 "2015-01-25T22:52:01Z")
Happened just recently in [my neck of the woods](http://registerguard.com/rg/news/local/32661438-75/father-pleads-guilty-to-incest-in-lane-county-case.html.csp#). ---
**Author:** ![Inna\_Minnit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Inna\_Minnit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inna_Minnit)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2015, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-genetic-sexual-attraction/710855/5 "2015-01-26T01:40:16Z")
> [@Arrendajo](#): > > Happened just recently in [my neck of the woods](http://registerguard.com/rg/news/local/32661438-75/father-pleads-guilty-to-incest-in-lane-county-case.html.csp#). That is seriously messed up. How can she be both guilty and a victim? ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2015, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-genetic-sexual-attraction/710855/6 "2015-01-26T02:05:27Z")
The Wiki article says that it’s not really common at all. My understanding is that, usually, the similarities will produce an initial attraction, but that it will fail the kiss test due to them also smelling similar, a built in mechanism to avoid incest. I would just guess that this second system fails for a small amount of people. We never know about it in normal situations due to the Westmark effect. ---
**Author:** ![Arrendajo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Arrendajo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arrendajo)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2015, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-genetic-sexual-attraction/710855/7 "2015-01-27T03:01:10Z")
> [@Inna\_Minnit](#): > > That is seriously messed up. How can she be both guilty and a victim? That is one of the compounding problems with the case. They were both adults when they started the relationship, so it’s not like he was a child molester. In fact, they lived quite openly in the incestuous relationship and she told a lot of people that her husband was also her father. An interesting thing is that their relationship didn’t become sexual until **after** they found out they were related; they had known each other for some time. Almost everyone involved in prosecuting the case would have let them be except that they had two children, both with severe birth defects. What they really want them to do is stop having children. What a pathetic mess.