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Runaway Bride! Do Unmarried, Child-Free Women Live Longer?
The Science Behind It
Hello! All the links to the scientific literature can be found in the underlined text.
You’re a woman, past 25, and suddenly a peculiar conversation starts. Your next great achievement seems to be whether a husband will “choose” you, if you will manage to become “Mrs. Somebody” — yes, even in 2025.
Grandmothers, mothers, fathers start asking, waiting for you to relieve them with the news that you’ll soon get married and “settle down,” so they can rest easy knowing your life is in order. Do you think this scenario is outdated? As a woman over 30, I can tell you that this discussion is still alive and well.
“When will you have a baby? Time is running out!”
“You’ve been together so long — when’s the next step?”
I’m a romantic. The idea of exchanging vows of eternal love with my partner at sunset, surrounded by loved ones, fills me with warmth. Yet, this is more like a dreamy screenshot and, somehow, seems different from the stereotypical image of a married woman that I’ve come to know.
I rarely see examples of married women who haven’t sacrificed their dreams, their previous lives, or changed their priorities once they entered marriage. There is an entire ancient tradition of marriage…
