Genetic sexual attraction

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Genetic sexual attraction (GSA) is sexual attraction between close relatives, such as a brother and sister, who first meet as adults.

GSA can occur as a consequence of adoption, when the adopted children discover their true ancestry and seek out relatives. Although this is a rare consequence of adoptive reunions, the large number of adoptive reunions in recent years means that a significant number of people are affected. It is generally highly distressing to both parties, as this sexual attraction is contrary to their socialized sexual and moral structures, as well as to the legal structure of society.

Several factors may contribute to GSA:

People commonly rank faces similar to their own as more attractive, trustworthy, etc. than average. Template:Citation needed Heredity produces substantial physical similarity between close relatives. However, Bereczkei (2004) attributes this in part to childhood imprinting on the opposite-sex parent.
Shared interests and personality traits are commonly considered desirable in a partner. The heritability of these qualities is a matter of great debate; to whatever extent they are heritable, they will tend to cluster in close relatives.
In cases of parent-child attraction, the parent may recognize traits of their sometime mate in the child.
Such reunions typically produce complex emotions in all involved.

Normally, when children are raised together in early childhood, this phenomenon is avoided by a form of reverse sexual imprinting known as the Westermarck effect, which appears to suppress sexual desire between siblings.

1 In popular culture
2 References
3 Further reading
4 See also
5 External links

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In popular culture

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

In the original Star Wars movies, Luke Skywalker and his sister, Princess Leia, experienced a mild form of GSA. In Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, they even shared a deep kiss, although Princess Leia did this mainly to make Han Solo jealous.
The anime series Koi Kaze tells the story of a brother and sister (ages 27 and 15, respectively) who gradually fall in love with each other when they're reunited after a ten-year separation. A similar case occurs with the anime Onegai Twins, who in this case are the same age and have previously met.

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