We took to social media to find out if any of social media users have ever been intimate with their cousins or relatives.

See some of the responses we received below.

*Kate

“I dated my father’s cousin who is in the same age group as me for two years, this was in 2008 and we broke up in 2010. We loved each other dearly and our sex life was on fire – we had sex almost everywhere even at work.

I am married now but he still wants me and I do feel tempted sometimes but I love my husband, so I won’t do it again. I loved the fact that he was such a spontaneous guy compared to my then boyfriend, who is now my husband.

When we dated his family knew about us and they loved me so much but we just couldn’t get married because my family was against it all since we were related.”

*Vusi

“I hooked up with a cousin from my father’s side in 2016, it was one of those cousins that you see after a long time. We weren’t in a relationship, it was a hook up which started after she saw my morning boner when I was visiting her home.

This was when all the trouble started, we started exchanging naughty texts and questions.”

*Dimakatso

“I once had sex with my cousin, my mom and his mom are sisters.

At the time I WAS 21-years-old and he was 32. I enjoyed being intimate with him because he was so gentle and to this day I would still do it again, even though he is married now.”

*Onela

“I am hooking up with my cousin and we have been in a relationship for two years going on three.”

*Eunice

“I am dating my cousin, his dad and my mom are siblings. We haven’t slept together yet and even though we know how wrong what we’re doing is, every time we stop we find reasons to get back together.

We really understand each other and he says he wants everyone to know about us but he’s not telling them because he wants to protect me.

He knows how fragile I am and going public about our relationship would mean hurting other people which I wouldn’t want to do, but because we are so closely related I don’t think we will ever be able to date freely.”

*Anitta

“We are distant cousins from my father’s side of the family. Growing up we have always been around each other but we were never close. We always kept things quite simple whenever we would bump into each other at events but everything took a turn one day after a family gathering.

He asked me to drive him to the shops one December afternoon after a family gathering and this was when we really started speaking. We exchanged numbers and shortly after that we started chatting. At first it was innocent texting but I soon developed a crush on him not knowing he had too.

We then started flirting and one night after a weeding after he volunteered to take home, that was when it happened – we had sex.

We have both kept it quiet because we know our families would freak should they ever find out and plot twist to it all, he recently got engaged. But we have not stopped lol, we still continue to hook up from time to time.”

*Babalwa

“I had sex with a relative, our mothers are cousins but they both passed away and still to this day our families have no idea that something happened between us.

But we never dated, we just had sex twice.”

*Emily

“It’s not a cousin in my case, it’s more of an uncle and nobody in the family knows but my grandma was suspicious.

We are no longer together but we dated for a year and even though I am married now he still texts me. When we were still together we didn’t care about anyone else, we took the risk and told ourselves that we only live once.”

*Esethu

“I am dating my cousin’s cousin but our relation is really extended because my grandmother and his grandmother are cousins. Our families were against it at first but they soon realized that we love each other and don’t mind now because our relations aren’t that strong.

One thing I have realized is that when you love someone and they love you back, the both of you can fight anything. Our families have also realised that we love each other and have let us do our own thing – we see a future together.”

The Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Act of 2007, states that sexual activity between adopted relatives is also considered as incest and while this phenomenon still remains a taboo it is something that is ongoing.

According Jennifer Papers a counselling social worker at the Family Life Centre of South Africa (FAMSA), sexual interaction or even marriage between relatives can sometimes lead to resentment within the family not to mention anger issues, she said in an interview with MOVE!

“This type of lifestyle goes against the constitution of our country, as well as moral values. For this reason, such acts are criminal offence and penalties are harsh. More than the criminal implications the, the psychological implications can last a lifetime,” Jennifer explained.

*Pseudonyms have been used to protect the people’s identities

Source: W24