Health
Why do women get 'the ick' from men? Experts explain the psychology behind the feeling
In modern dating, the “ick” is primarily experienced by women and feared by men.
The term has gone viral on social media in recent years.
It describes a feeling of disgust toward the actions, appearances and other characteristics of someone’s partner.
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Some examples of popular icks include people chewing with their mouths open, wearing flip-flops or tripping over their own feet while walking.
The list has narrowed to a more specific set of icks blasted on the internet, including aversions to how men chase after a ping-pong ball, or even use a debit card instead of a credit card on a date.
One woman on TikTok posted a video of her significant other walking around the apartment wearing tiny no-show socks. (TikTok/Screenshot/Amanda)
Primal instinct
National Geographic claims that the “ick” feeling is related to a biological, primal instinct.
In several primate species, including humans, adult females are “more sensitive to grossness than males,” according to a scientific dive by NatGeo.
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“For instance, female gray mouse lemurs and Japanese macaques are more likely than males to turn up their noses at contaminated food, while female western lowland gorillas and olive baboons tend to avoid fellow animals with skin infections,” the report noted.
This cautiousness then leads to a lower incidence of infectious disease in females, according to scientists.
Female Japanese macaques are “more likely than males to turn up their noses at contaminated food,” experts say. (iStock)
Cecile Sarabian, a cognitive ecologist at the Institute for Advanced Study in Toulouse, France, told NatGeo that there’s a “protective power to the ‘yuck.’”
She suggested that females’ pickiness about what they eat and who they expose themselves to “may be one of the reasons female primates live longer than males.”
“Scientists don’t know why lots of female animals — including humans — are more easily grossed out than males.”
Elizabeth Anne Brown, a National Geographic contributing writer based in Denmark, commented on the findings.
“Scientists don’t know why lots of female animals — including humans — are more easily grossed out than males,” she told Fox News Digital.
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“But ‘yuck’ acts like an advanced guard for our immune system, limiting our exposure to things that could make us sick, like parasites and bacteria.”
Disgust “plays an important role” in mate selection for primates, Brown said, as females of some species “will absolutely shut down prospective suitors [who have] symptoms of STDs.”
“Female gorillas take ‘the ick’ so seriously they basically skip town and start a new life,” a NatGeo contributing writer said. (iStock)
“If the resident male in a troop of western lowland gorillas develops pale blotches on his face — a symptom of infection with treponema, the same contagious bacteria that causes syphilis in humans — some females will fully abandon the troop and search for an uninfected male,” she said.
“These female gorillas take ‘the ick’ so seriously that they basically skip town and start a new life.”
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In analyzing Japanese macaques, Sarabian noted that the females would wipe off any leaf litter from their acorns before eating them, while the males were “more likely to gobble the food down having barely looked at it.”
She added, “Unfortunately, the only dating advice we can take from our primate cousins is to be cautious about STDs — always a good policy.”
Those who “get the ick” easily should try shifting their perception of the situation, one expert suggested. (iStock)
Psychology of feeling icky
Dr. Kyra Bobinet, a California behavioral neuroscientist and author of “Unstoppable Brain,” broke down what happens in the brain when someone feels disgusted.
“Anything we are averse to, that we want to avoid, or that we shrink back from — including the ick — is controlled by this area of the brain [called the habenula],” she told Fox News Digital.
The habenula is a central part of the brain that’s involved in various important functions, including motivation and decision-making, according to the expert.
The habenula is a central part of the brain that’s involved in various important functions, including motivation and decision-making. (iStock)
This area, when activated, “kills our motivation to try,” said Bobinet.
“This area of your brain is scouting for anything that’s not going to work out for you,” she said. “It has a negativity bias.”
The expert encouraged those who “get the ick” to try shifting their perception of the situation.
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Bobinet also agreed that women are biologically more prone to having self-awareness of “icky” feelings, as they are “made to make babies.”
She said, “We have to be very sensitive to our environment because we have to protect the baby from fumes, from danger, from all these things.”
Women are biologically more prone to having self-awareness of “icky” feelings, as they are “made to make babies,” an expert noted. (iStock)
Role of social media
The ick gets “taken to an extreme” on social media, according to Bobinet — “and you can get really narrowed down and too picky.”
This can interfere with dating, the expert suggested, as criteria for a partner become “unrealistic.”
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M. David Rudd, PhD, distinguished professor of psychology at The University of Memphis, said there are “undoubtedly evolutionary reasons” for disgust “across genders.”
“But it’s important to always factor into today’s phenomenon the issue of social learning and related reinforcement driven by the broad and unparalleled reach of social media,” he told Fox News Digital.
Modern dating poses struggles for both genders, experts said. (iStock)
Rudd noted that social media creators are also motivated by attention and financial gain, which can move along trends more than “any meaningful evolutionary purpose.”
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“Those most vulnerable to mimicking social media behavior are often those most in need of the central motivators to begin with — attention being the central one, quickly followed by money,” he said.
“Extrapolating and interpreting evolutionary benefits in this context is likely to lead to considerably high error rates.”
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Older adults who avoid meat in their golden years may be less likely to reach age 100 than their meat-eating counterparts, new research suggests.
Researchers tracked more than 5,000 adults aged 80 or older who were enrolled in the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey.
Between 1998 and 2018, data showed that those who did not eat meat were less likely to reach their 100th birthday than those who consumed animal products regularly.
The findings seem to contradict previous studies that have linked vegetarianism and plant-based diets to lower risks of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and obesity.
Most evidence supporting the benefits of plant-based diets comes from studies tracking younger populations, the researchers noted.
The findings contrast with previous research praising plant-based diets for their positive influence on heart health. (iStock)
The study, published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, points to losses in muscle mass and bone density with age, shifts that can increase the risk of malnutrition and frailty in the “oldest old.”
As people enter their 80s and 90s, the nutritional priority often shifts from preventing long-term chronic diseases to maintaining day-to-day physical function, experts say.
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“The headline ‘vegetarians over 80 less likely to reach 100’ sounds surprising, because it contrasts with decades of data linking plant‑forward diets to lower chronic disease risk earlier in life,” Erin Palinski-Wade, a New Jersey-based registered dietitian, told Fox News Digital.
“However, once you see that this research is limited to adults over the age of 80 who are also underweight — and that this link disappears with the consumption of eggs, dairy and fish — the results are less surprising.”
While diets earlier in life tend to emphasize avoiding long-term disease, older age necessitates nutrients and weight maintenance, experts say. (iStock)
In those over 80, restricting animal proteins may be less likely to promote longevity, according to Palinski-Wade, who was not involved in the study.
Eliminating all animal protein — particularly in a population that may already experience diminished hunger cues — can make it more difficult to meet adequate protein needs, potentially increasing the risk of nutrient deficiencies, the nutritionist said.
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In addition to a higher tendency to be underweight, older populations also face a greater risk of bone fractures due to lower calcium and protein intake.
Potential limitations
The lower rate of vegetarians reaching 100 was only observed in participants identified as underweight, the researchers noted. No such association was found in people who maintained a healthy weight.
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Because being underweight is already linked to greater frailty and mortality risk, the researchers noted that body weight may partly explain the findings, making it difficult to determine whether diet itself played a direct role.
Those incorporating animal-sourced products other than meat were just as likely to live to 100. (iStock)
Additionally, the shortened lifespans were not found in people who continued to eat non-meat animal products, such as fish, dairy and eggs.
Older adults with these more flexible diets were just as likely to live to 100 as those eating meat, as these foods may provide the nutrients necessary for maintaining muscle and bone health, the researchers noted.
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“This is an observational study, so it can only show associations, and does not prove that avoiding meat directly reduces the odds of reaching 100,” Palinski-Wade added.
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The researchers suggested that including small amounts of animal-sourced foods could help older seniors maintain essential nutrients and avoid the muscle loss often seen in those who stick strictly to plants.
Eliminating all animal protein — particularly in a population that may already experience diminished hunger cues — can make it more difficult to meet adequate protein needs, potentially increasing the risk of nutrient deficiencies. (iStock)
Palinski-Wade offered some guidance for those looking to optimize nutrition later in life.
“For adults in their 80s and beyond, especially anyone losing weight or muscle, the priority should be maintaining a healthy weight and meeting protein and micronutrient needs — even if that means adding or increasing fish, eggs, dairy or well‑planned, fortified plant proteins and supplements.”
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Strict vegan or very low‑protein patterns at that age should be carefully monitored by a dietitian or clinician, with attention to B12, vitamin D, calcium and total protein, according to Palinski-Wade.
“Younger and healthier adults can still confidently use plant‑forward or vegetarian patterns to lower long‑term chronic disease risk,” she added.
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In a dramatic turn of events that’s captured the attention of animal lovers worldwide, Punch — the young macaque at a zoo in Japan famous for his inseparable bond with a stuffed orangutan toy — has reached a major milestone in his journey toward social integration.
On Thursday, visitors and staff at the Ichikawa Zoological and Botanical Garden witnessed a breakthrough: Punch was seen cuddling with and hitching a ride on the back of a fellow macaque.
Punch’s story began with hardship. He was abandoned by his mother shortly after his birth in July 2025 — and to ensure his survival, zookeepers stepped in to hand-rear the primate.
On Jan. 19, 2026, the zoo officially began the process of reintegrating Punch into the “monkey mountain” enclosure.
The transition was initially fraught with tension.
Punch’s story began with hardship when he was abandoned by his mother shortly after he was born. To help him, zookeepers gave him a stuffed toy that he began dragging around everywhere he went. (David Mareuil/Anadolu via Getty Images)
As a hand-reared infant, Punch was bullied and ignored by the established group of monkeys.
He was often seen huddled alone with his orange plush companion while the rest of the troop interacted.
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In an official statement released Feb. 27, the Ichikawa Zoological and Botanical Garden detailed the meticulous care behind this process.
Previous viral videos showed Punch bullied by the rest of the troop, running to his plushy toy for comfort. (David Mareuil/Anadolu via Getty Images)
“From an animal welfare perspective, our primary goal is to reintegrate Punch with the troop,” the zoo said.
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The strategy involved nursing Punch within the enclosure, so the troop could recognize him as one of their own, and pairing him with a gentle young female macaque prior to his full release to build his confidence.
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The latest footage, captured by X user @tate_gf, suggested the zoo’s patience is paying off.
The video shows Punch seeking physical contact not from his toy, but from another monkey — eventually climbing onto its back for a vital social behavior for young macaques: the “piggyback ride.”
The zoo’s strategy appears to be paying off: Punch, shown at far left, was recently seen riding on the back of a fellow macaque. (David Mareuil/Anadolu via Getty Images)
While Punch still carries his stuffed toy for comfort during moments of perceived danger, the zoo remains optimistic about his progress.
The organization cited the successful 2009 case of Otome, another hand-reared macaque who eventually outgrew her stuffed toy, successfully integrated — and went on to raise four offspring of her own.
The zoo has had crowds coming to see Punch, with hundreds of people lining up to get inside to see the young star, according to reports.
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“I’m hoping Punch has a good life like everybody else does, and think he’s a cute little guy,” one person commented online.
“Such a precious baby,” another person wrote.
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