Hi. Thanks for asking.

Feelings of attraction, love, intimacy can be very strong at times and it sounds like you have a very close relationship with your cousin. While developing a physical or sexual attraction towards someone can be very natural, you need to think carefully about how you respond to this.

Something you will need to think about is the impact this could have on your relationships with friends and other family. It's quite possible that others in your family (and hers) would not be happy about the 2 of you dating or having a sexual relationship. While we don't get to choose our feelings, we do choose our actions. Have a think about what will be best for both of you and for your futures.

It may be worthwhile talking about your feelings with someone you trust. If it's difficult to speak to someone in your family about this, maybe there is a friend or school counsellor you could talk to? You may also like to speak to a counsellor over the phone. You can contact the Kids Helpline (details below), or SHine SA who offer support for relationship and sexual health issues.

Good luck.