Can siblings be too close?

Being close to your siblings can be a great blessing. You live with them, and you are bound to them, so having a close relationship means a life long friend, and person to rely on. However, sometimes sibling relationships are just too close. So, how close is too close when it comes to siblings? Consider the following:

While it is great to share secrets and show affection to your siblings, if that secret involves sexual activity, and the closeness is incest, then it is simply too close. Incest is far more widespread than many believe, and can be as damaging, or more so than rape, and other sexually related activities, due to the nature of the relationships that are involved, as well as the way incest happens.
Incest is illegal in all of the states. It is slightly different when it comes to the definition, but the meaning is the same. It is illegal to be married to, co-inhabit, or have sexual relations with someone you are closely related to either by marriage, blood, or adoption. Many people justify their incestual behavior because they are not blood related, they are adopted, etc. However, by law, that is still incest. So be good friends with your adopted siblings, or step-siblings, but keep it as friends only.
Incest is most commonly perpetuated by males. A father or step-father with a daughter, or as mentioned, between siblings, commonly perpetuated by a brother. Like rape, there is typically a perpetrator, and a victim. However, it can be consensual, although this does not alleviate those involved from the legal consequences. Consensual or not, it is still illegal, and psychologically unhealthy.
Incest is an addictive activity, and it is found, that many who are involved in such relationships will be compulsive about it. While contact may be occasional, it can also be frequent. On average it goes on for four years. However, for some it is a one time incident. Either way, they are dangerous to your mental and physical health, and can be extremely difficult to move past, and regain a normal or healthy sexual outlook.
Incestual relationships are especially dangerous because unlike rape, and other illegal sexual activities, they do not typically begin with force or coercion. In fact, studies have shown that they typically start with an offer of affection, or an offer to educate someone, and escalate over the space of several years.
70-80% of those that participate in incest have been molested at some point, and it may be a result of their sexual frustration or confusion. Often psychological help is required to understand and move on.
So, being close to your siblings is a good thing, but remember that most cases of incest start innocently with high amounts of affection, and progress over time. Choose to be close, to get a long well, and have fun together, but keep that fun free of sexual relations.