The article discusses the ethical dilemma faced by an individual who knows the secret of their cousin's biological parentage, which is linked to incest. Despite their close relationship, the narrator struggles with whether to disclose this intimate truth to their cousin, fearing it will cause emotional distress. The narrator is the sole keeper of this knowledge following the deaths of others who were aware. The potential medical implications of the cousin's adoption background are outlined, highlighting the need for transparent health information.
You are, it appears, the sole custodian of an intimate truth concealed from the very person it concerns. The asymmetry of knowledge is bound to shadow your interactions with your cousin.
When you see her, you must feel the weight of what you know even as you keep it hidden, like a stone in your pocket. The burden isn't simply the fact that you know this secret—it's also the effort to sustain the fiction that you don't.
The medical facts are these: Children born of sibling unions face substantially higher risks of genetic disorders exponentially higher for autosomal recessive disorders, which require two of the same faulty gene.
Knowledge of her parentage could, in theory, alert her doctor to watch for late-onset conditions. The risks are lower for her progeny.
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