One of the least-discussed harms of incest is biological. Let's put morality and cultural acceptance aside for a second and talk about genetic risk.
What is heterozygosity?
Heterozygosity means you have two different versions of a gene. You get one from each parent. Higher heterozygosity means you have more genetic variations. That serves as "backup" against genes that may have weaknesses or carry defects. Lower heterozygosity means there are fewer safeguards because there is less variance.
Inbreeding (reproduction between close relatives) reduces heterozygosity and increases homozygosity—meaning a child is more likely to inherit the same gene variant from both parents. If you are a Game of Thrones fan, low heterozygosity is what makes the white hair of the Targaryans a trait they are known for. In real life, it's the stage for recessive genetic disorders to show up.
Why do close relatives raise the risk?
Most people carry a few recessive mutations and never know it because they also have a healthy copy of each. But close relatives share far more DNA, so the chance they carry the same recessive mutation is much higher. When both parents have the same recessive mutation, the child's risk of inheriting two mutated or damaged copies of the gene rises sharply.
This is the genetic "math" behind why incest increases risk and precisely what happened in my case:
When a parent has a child with their own child, the baby's parents share about half their DNA. That makes it far more likely the baby will inherit the same harmful gene from both sides.
What does that mean in real-world outcomes?
In the general population, congenital disabilities (harmful genetic mutations) occur in about 1 in 33 births in the U.S.
For incest (parent-child or sibling-sibling), published medical and genetic counseling literature has reported much higher risk ranges—commonly cited around 32%–44% for significant adverse outcomes (congenital disabilities and/or serious developmental issues).
That variability matters because it's a significant, measurable increase.
In my case, two out of my four children, sired by my father, have genetic disorders. One of them proved fatal.
This isn't about blaming children—ever.
I am a mother of four beautiful children who came from traumatic circumstances. I call them my lotus flowers because lotus flowers grow from dirty mud, yet it does not mar their beauty.
Children born of incest are innocent. Always.
Aziza's Law is about preventing predictable harm—and about recognizing that incest is frequently tied to coercion, abuse, and power imbalance. When the law treats incest like a gray area, it leaves people unprotected, and it increases the odds of both violence and avoidable medical tragedy.
What you can do right now
Sign and share this petition (especially with NJ residents).
Comment: "Close the loophole. Pass Aziza's Law."
Write your legislators and ask where they stand on criminalizing incest in New Jersey.
Science may not be magic, but it sure does reveal the monsters hiding in the dark.
If you want to learn more about the biological impacts of children born from incestuous abuse, check out these sources.
https://www.cdc.gov/birth-defects/data-research/facts-stats/index.html
https://www.gimjournal.org/article/S1098-3600%2821%2900162-3/pdf
https://iastate.pressbooks.pub/cropgenetics/chapter/inbreeding-and-heterosis-2/