How would dating and marriage work with conjoined twins?

From what I’ve read and watched, this isn’t much of an issue for co-joined twins. They have grown up as separate entities, even if their bodies stay permanently attached. They have learned to sort of ‘shut down’ when the other is on a date or having sexual relations with their partner.

Yes, Brittany and Abigail share one reproductive system. According to this video, it is believed that Brittany is (or was) engaged. It sounds as if they have discussed how they want to handle relationships.

Co-joined twins Chang and Eng both married and had 10 and 11 children respectively. At first, the twins and their wives shared one bed. When the lifestyle became uncomfortable for the women, they moved into separate housing, and the husbands took turns spending time with each wife.

As for it being considered a threesome, it depends upon your definition. I seriously doubt that the twin that isn’t in an emotional relationship with their twin’s partner looks at it this way. I would hope that their partners don’t either. As rare as co-joined twins are that survive to an age where they have sex, I can think of ‘weirder’ ways to conduct a threesome.

In matters of the heart, two people falling in love with the same person might come really handy. It does happen a lot. Two girls wanting the same guy. Next is just a matter of finding the right guy who could fall in love with a conjoined twins.

@mazingerz88 This isn’t about two people falling in love with the same person. Co-joined twins are two separate people (twins) that, for whatever reason, didn’t experience normal body development. They have distinct personalities, as long as there are two brains. Their interests differ, as well as their attraction to a potential partner.

It does take effort in finding a desirable partner that looks past the physical difference. Kudos for the right partner if they stay devoted for the right reasons. Considering it a threesome in the sexual context isn’t. Even if both twins desire to participate and a partner is fine with this, I don’t see this as being different from a threesome where there are three separate bodies, as long as all parties involved agree upon it.

@Pied_Pfeffer It does take effort in finding a desirable partner that looks past the physical difference. That man would have to do more than that. He would have to deal with essentially two person in one. What if he liked them both, and they both liked him but somewhere down the line one decided she didn’t like him anymore, then what? What if he wanted to marry one but the other didn’t want to marry him, how would she marry later? If she (the non-married twin) started dating, and having relations that would mean the man who married 1st would have his wife in a de facto affair with another man? That is not to even think of the living arrangements. Two homes with shuttling wives, a big duplex?

@Hypocrisy_Central Of course there are going to be all sorts of unusual challenges. This is why the statement after the one you quoted says, Kudos for to the right partner if they stay devoted for the right reasons. I meant that to include all of the other challenges that will arise. My apology all if it wasn’t clear.

As for one of the conjoined twins wanting to marry their partner and the other didn’t, some places recognize separate marriages for conjoined twins. I don’t know what the law is in Minnesota, where Brittany and Abigail live. The state did issue the girls separate drivers’ licenses. The state deserves credit for that.

The partners of conjoined twins are going to have a whole set of new scenarios to work through compared to having a partner that isn’t a conjoined twin. It does generate a lot of questions since this birth defect is rare. From what I’ve read, all parties involved work through these challenges in their own way on the front end, just like non-conjoined people often do.

Sure, there is always the chance that one or two of the parties involved may later take a disliking to the person that isn’t their partner. Hopefully, they can work through the differences.

Didn’t Matt Damon make a movie about that?

As for one of the conjoined twins wanting to marry their partner and the other didn’t, some places recognize separate marriages for conjoined twins. In a legal sense I guess there will have to be many concessions made. Credit will be one, Autonomy will be another, which part of their shared body do they get to control themselves without having to have the blessing of their twin. If they are issued separate marriage license, one twin cannot date anyone less the other twin goes along. Should they find someone who loves their part of the union it is hard to be intimate with half a person in general. If the one twin despised her brother in-law, or she got married and her husband did not like her sister’s husband, yet he has to intimate with the same shared vagina I can’t see how that would work. With other conjoined twins they had their own private parts. IF they were able to carry a child, who would be listed as the mother? If it were genetically Abby’s spouse would her sister be just the aunt when she would basically have just as much DNA invested as Abby? What if one got ill and needed a major brain surgery that was risky, would the other twin be able to veto the procedure?

@Hypocrisy_Central Sure there are all kinds of factors that will need to be worked out. Brittany and Abigail are now 21, both have expressed a desire to marry, as well as have children. They know that they only have one reproductive system. Surely, they have discussed all of the potential pitfalls that might occur.

In a legal sense I guess there will have to be many concessions made. Credit will be one, Autonomy will be another, which part of their shared body do they get to control themselves without having to have the blessing of their twin. I’m not sure what you mean by this being a legal factor. Wouldn’t both credit (whatever you mean by that), and which part of their shared body they get to control would be up to the twins to decide? From what I’ve read, they work through these details on their own. Each set of conjoined twins come to their own decisions on how to handle this. They’ve been doing this for as long as they’ve lived.

If they are issued separate marriage license, one twin cannot date anyone less the other twin goes along. That applies whether one twin is married or not. If one twin is already in a relationship, or even married, both that twin and their partner know that this is likely to happen.

Should they find someone who loves their part of the union it is hard to be intimate with half a person in general. I’m not sure what you mean by this. Are you talking about a partner that is in a relationship with a non-conjoined person, but is with someone who has a physical disability? Are you familiar of the story of Rose Siggins? She only has half a body.

If the one twin despised her brother in-law, or she got married and her husband did not like her sister’s husband, yet he has to intimate with the same shared vagina I can’t see how that would work. It might come as shock to you, but there are people out there that can, and do, work past this traditional mindset. If they can’t, they leave. Obviously, the twins can’t desert each other, unless there is a possibility of separation. In A&B’s case, both their parents as well as their daughers, have opted not to risk this.

With other conjoined twins they had their own private parts. IF they were able to carry a child, who would be listed as the mother? I don’t know, but I suspect it would be up to the laws of area in which they live. If a location recognizes separate marriage for conjoined twins, I would hope that they would list one mother and one father on a birth certificate. It’s an interesting question.

If it were genetically Abby’s spouse would her sister be just the aunt when she would basically have just as much DNA invested as Abby? Do you mean if Abby’s spouse was the one who generated a pregnancy? From a genetic aspect, the women have the same DNA. Because they share one set of reproductive organs, it just becomes a bit messier. Or maybe it is easier.

Physically, the other twin (in the case of A&B) will be involved in the reproductive process, gestation, the birth, and the upbringing. Mentally, most conjoined twins learn to either keep their opinions to themself or somehow ‘tune out’ when their sibling is handling a personal situation.

What if one got ill and needed a major brain surgery that was risky, would the other twin be able to veto the procedure? If the surgery would prevent the twin from dying, I doubt that the other would veto it. In many cases of conjoined twins, one becomes ill before the other, depending upon the affliction. When the twins are adults and treatment is no longer dictated by the parents, I suspect that they decide between themselves the best route to take.

In a case of an illness that may lead to a high risk of their twin’s death unless treated, why would they veto the decision of their sibling? It would mean that they either die too, or if there was a possibility of separating them, then it becomes another high risk factor in their ability to survive.

All good questions friend. The bottom line is that there are really no answers. Each case of conjoined twins is unique, but it’s up to the twins to decide how they want to live their lives.

A sidebar… my son personally knows Abby and Britty. He said he wanted so bad to date them. They really are nice, friendly and pretty girls. He said that after a few minutes of conversing with them, he almost forgets they share a lower-body. It’s like conversing with two girls at the same time. One’s a bit quieter than the other, but both are friendly.