THERE'S no denying that DNA tests makes a great gift for someone who doesn't know much about their family tree – but they also run the risk of exposing some uncomfortable truths.
TikTok user Matilda is one person who knows a little something about this.
Earlier this month, she revealed how her boyfriend gave her a DNA testing kit for her birthday last September.
She explained: "My ex got me one of those DNA kits – my mom is adopted and I never really knew my biological father.
"So I was mostly interested in the health info to see if there was anything to watch out for."
While he was buying for for Matilda, her ex also decided to get one for himself too as they were on sale.
She continued: "So we got the results back a month later and I was looking through the list of genetic relatives because the only person that I know that I'm technically related to is my mom.
"And I scrolled down and turned to my boyfriend at the time and said, 'hey this is pretty nifty, I'm related to someone with the same name as you.'
"AND THAT'S HOW I I FOUND OUT I WAS DATING MY COUSIN."
In a follow-up video, Matilda – who has now broken up with her boyfriend -explained how the DNA site believed they were third cousins and most likely shared a set of great-great grandparents.
Can you legally marry your cousins in the UK?
- It is currently legal for you to marry your cousin in the UK, which means you wouldn't be breaking the law if you decided to wed the children of your aunts and uncles.
- However, it is a rather controversial subject, with some some studies showing it may increase the chance of defects in offspring.
- Each child has 23 pairs of chromosones with one chromosone from each pair inherited from the mother and the other from the father. The chromosomes contain the genes you inherit from your parents.
- Hereditary disorders and defects can occur in a child in different ways, but the one that could relate to cousins having children is known as autosomal recessive inheritance.
- This means the condition can only be passed on to a child if both parents have a copy of the faulty gene – both are "carriers" of the condition. And this is more likely if the parents are related.
- You can find out more about who you can and cannot marry in detail here.
The test results prompted Matilda to research her biological father's side of the family and that's when she found out a relative had done a genealogical report dating back to the 1500s.
She continued: "Based on that info from that research as well as the percentage of DNA that my ex and I shared (that was a little too high to be third cousins), I'm actually pretty sure we're second cousins related through my paternal great-grandmother."
The videos have racked up over 540,000 views and prompted people to share their own experience of life-changing DNA tests.
One replied: "My aunt and uncle didn't find out they were cousins until they had been married like 10 years."
Another added: "Lol same girl – I dated a cousin and went to college with one for two years before knowing."
Meanwhile, a third added: "OMG I would DIE on the spot."
For more relationship horror stories, this is the gut-wrenching moment ‘cheating’ man was busted in a hotel when his furious girlfriend rocks up with her DAD.
And this 'awful’ bridezilla slammed for tricking family into paying £10,000 for wedding & uninviting them if they refuse.
Plus this 'trashy’ couple slammed for faking a marriage proposal to get free drinks from a bar.
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