By Kayla DeKraker
A new study revealed some unexpected but exciting news: married people are less likely to get cancer.
The research, published in the journal Cancer Research Communications, analyzed health data spanning several years and millions of adults across the United States. Its findings suggest that individuals who have never been married face significantly higher cancer rates compared to those who are or have been married.
University of Virginia professor Dr. Brad Wilcox told CNN of the study, “When it comes to getting cancer, putting a ring on it may offer more protection to women. That’s striking.”
According to the study, men who have never married have about a 68-70% higher likelihood of developing cancer, while women face an even greater increase — up to 83-85% higher risk compared to married women.
Related: 7 Christian Celebrities Putting Intentional Effort into Their Marriages
Although the study included multiple types of cancers, researchers acknowledge that many come with lifestyle factors of single people. For example, tobacco related cancers such as lung and esophageal cancers were more prevalent among single people, and those people are more likely to smoke.
Additionally, single women had higher rates of ovarian cancer. According to the Minnesota Ovarian Cancer Alliance, this is because “Pregnancy and breastfeeding are linked with a reduced risk of ovarian cancer, likely because women ovulate less frequently when pregnant or breastfeeding. Multiple pregnancies or having a first full-term pregnancy before the age of 26 decreases risk.”
Study authors said, “Marriage reflects enduring social, economic and institutional ties that may influence cancer risk through multiple mechanisms.”
“It means that if you’re not married, you should be paying extra attention to cancer risk factors, getting any screenings you may need and staying up to date on health care,” explained Dr. Frank Penedo, study author and associate director for population sciences at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center.
He added, “For prevention efforts, our findings point to the importance of targeting cancer risk awareness and prevention strategies with attention to marital status.”
Aside from health benefits, marriage is documented to benefits to overall life satisfaction, psychological distress and decreased alcohol consumption. The study explained, “Married individuals have a readily available source of social support and companionship, so it is unsurprising that their overall health, across the life course, is generally superior to that of unmarried individuals.”
This study, while it has its nuances, is proof that God created marriage for our good and that it has deeper benefits than we fully understand.
Read Next: A Godless Marriage Is Worse Than a Loveless One
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