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Cosmopolitan
17-06-2025
- Health
- Cosmopolitan
Is Your Body Rejecting Your Relationship?
Pop culture likes to romanticize steamy, flawed connections to the point where passionate yet toxic dynamics have come to seem normal to impressionable audiences (see: Babygirl or Fifty Shades of Grey). This kind of desensitization can bleed over into real life, making it harder to realize when a relationship has gone sour. Luckily, we all have something in our corner capable of signaling when it's truly time to move on—if only we knew how to listen. You've probably questioned some of these signals before with friends over dinner, or maybe you saw them in a viral January 2025 Thread asking the question: 'Girlies, how did you know your body was rejecting your ex?' About 2,000 people flocked to the comments section to share a range of physical and mental health symptoms they experienced in problematic relationships, including nausea, yeast infections, chronic UTIs, bacterial vaginosis, weight fluctuations, pain during sex, depression, anxiety, and more. Of course, all these issues could be attributed to more than just bad relationships, but let's be clear: This is also 100 percent a real thing your body does. 'Toxic relationships can lead to toxic bodies,' says psychologist Candice Nicole Hargons, PhD, an associate professor at Emory University's Rollins School of Public Health. Your body is constantly responding to your environment, including your relationships, adds licensed marriage and family therapist Cheryl Groskopf. 'When you're in one that feels unsafe, inconsistent, or emotionally draining, your nervous system reacts.' This is exactly what happened to Stephanie* when she experienced her first migraine nearly one year into dating her former boyfriend. The headaches were nonstop and resistant to every remedy she tried, from prescription painkillers and Botox to holistic relations approaches like acupuncture, reflexology, and deep-tissue massages. 'I met with every specialist under the moon,' she says. Clarity finally came during therapy, a safe space where she would regularly vent about her boyfriend. 'I was in agony and my therapist wondered if my body was rebelling against him,' she remembers. Once Stephanie became single, her migraines let up. The tricky thing is that doctors can brush off these symptoms or attribute them to something else—almost anything, really—because such physical and emotional signs could be explained by many other conditions, says Groskopf. A lot of times, physicians chalk them up to 'just stress,' and while they're not wrong, the source of that stress is important, too. 'When a relationship triggers nonstop stress, your nervous system is always overactivated,' says Groskopf. 'Your body perceives the relationship as a threat, even if you don't consciously think of it that way. If symptoms improve when you're alone, around supportive people, or after time away from your partner, that's a strong indicator that your relationship is the cause.' The problems in your relationship don't have to be extreme or abusive for this to be the case. Stephanie says her relationship 'sucked' but not in the way people typically think. 'He wasn't showing up for me emotionally and we just didn't gel. The headaches were how my body was letting me know he wasn't as good as it gets.' Six months after separating from her now-ex-husband, Allison* says she finally 'looked like me again.' While married, she dealt with a lot of abandonment, emotional stonewalling, and cold-shouldering that stemmed from her ex's gambling problem. 'My unhappiness literally showed on my face,' she says. She was constantly puffy and acne-prone, and her skin was irritated. She hadn't gained weight, changed anything in her diet, or started a new medication—there was no explanation for the marriage was over. Experiencing symptoms like this doesn't mean you have to end things immediately, says Groskopf. Sometimes, the symptoms can go away after a couple addresses their concerns. Other times, performing micro-experiments, like taking some space before going through with a full-fledged breakup, may give you better insight as well. It can be easy to lose yourself in any kind of relationship, but the most important thing you can do first and foremost is get to know and prioritize yourself. Listen to your body—it's sending you these signals, ultimately, as a way to try to keep you safe. Many experts suggest developing some sort of mindfulness practice, like breathwork or regular therapy, before you're in a relationship so that you can be more in tune with your body's 'normal.' This can help you identify when someone in your life throws it off. 'Check in with your emotions before your body has to scream for your attention,' says Groskopf. That can be easier said than done, so logging symptoms and feelings in a journal or in your Notes app is a practical and helpful way to track patterns. It will be a good reference for you and your health care providers, too. Paying attention to when symptoms strike is also key intel. You'll be able to establish your baseline and know what your body does and feels like when it's neutral, excited, or experiencing negative changes—so you can work toward a goal of overall well-being, including the romantic kind. Says Hargons: 'When your relationship is a healthy, happy one, you have better health overall.' *Name has been changed. Gabrielle Kassel (she/her) is a sex and wellness journalist who writes at the intersection of queerness, sexual health, and pleasure. In addition to being in Cosmopolitan, her work can also be found in publications such as Shape, Well + Good, Women's Health, Health, Self, Men's Health, Greatist, and more! In her free time, Gabrielle can be found reviewing one of the nearly 1,000 pleasure products she's tested, reading smut, or recording episodes of the podcast she cohosts called Bad In Bed. Follow her on Instagram @GabrielleKassel.
The Herald Scotland
29-05-2025
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Macron face shoving video ignites discussion on gender
President Macron dismissed speculation that the first lady shoved him, telling reporters on May 26 they were just being playful. But social media is discussing whether the candid moment would be considered so lighthearted if the roles had been reversed and a male partner put his hands on a female partner's face. That image has a connotation of harm, while the opposite gets to be called a game. "No matter how viral or lighthearted it seems, putting hands on your partner isn't a joke, and it's never okay, regardless of gender," one TikToker weighed in. "It does us no favors to ignore an incident and not talk about it," says Dabney P. Evans, associate professor at the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University. Rather, Evans says, this viral moment is an opportunity to discuss what is acceptable and what isn't in a relationship. In the news: The Diddy trial details are worse than anyone expected. Will how we treat victims change? How we react to that Macron video and why it matters While some laughed off the short clip and others quickly dismissed it, those reactions on may say more about the person posting than it does about the French couple. It's a commentary about how we expect men and women in couples to behave, Evans said. "If we reflect on ourselves, what kind of judgements and assumptions (do) we make about the situation based on an image we saw, knowing information about a person's sex and gender identity?" she said. "That is a call for people to reflect on what their read is when they see this kind of video and all the layers of information about gender relations ... that are automatically overlaid onto that very simple few second snippet." And while either partner in a relationship can exhibit unhealthy behaviors, typically one person holds more power than the other, Evans said. A physical action could be a lighthearted moment, a self-defense response informed by trauma or a more nefarious attempt to exert control, she said. Either way, it's important to remember we can never really know what goes on between two partners, and we should think about why we make the assumptions we do, Evans said. "Having this out in the world does leave an impression that plays on all the underlying gender norms and expectations about masculinity and femininity, strength and weakness, that surround us all the time."
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
The video of Macron's wife shoving his face ignites viral firestorm, discussion on gender
A viral video of France's first lady seemingly shoving her husband in the face is igniting a conversation about gender and physical encounters in relationships. The clip was taken after the couple landed in Hanoi, Vietnam, as part of their Southeast Asia tour. Video shows President Emmanuel Macron standing in the aircraft's open doorway when an out-of-frame hand shoves him away. The president quickly maintains his composure proceeding to smile and wave before exiting the frame and later exiting the aircraft alongside his wife, Brigitte. President Macron dismissed speculation that the first lady shoved him, telling reporters on May 26 they were just being playful. But social media is discussing whether the candid moment would be considered so lighthearted if the roles had been reversed and a male partner put his hands on a female partner's face. That image has a connotation of harm, while the opposite gets to be called a game. "No matter how viral or lighthearted it seems, putting hands on your partner isn't a joke, and it's never okay, regardless of gender," one TikToker weighed in. "It does us no favors to ignore an incident and not talk about it," says Dabney P. Evans, associate professor at the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University. Rather, Evans says, this viral moment is an opportunity to discuss what is acceptable and what isn't in a relationship. In the news: The Diddy trial details are worse than anyone expected. Will how we treat victims change? While some laughed off the short clip and others quickly dismissed it, those reactions on may say more about the person posting than it does about the French couple. It's a commentary about how we expect men and women in couples to behave, Evans said. "If we reflect on ourselves, what kind of judgements and assumptions (do) we make about the situation based on an image we saw, knowing information about a person's sex and gender identity?" she said. "That is a call for people to reflect on what their read is when they see this kind of video and all the layers of information about gender relations ... that are automatically overlaid onto that very simple few second snippet." And while either partner in a relationship can exhibit unhealthy behaviors, typically one person holds more power than the other, Evans said. A physical action could be a lighthearted moment, a self-defense response informed by trauma or a more nefarious attempt to exert control, she said. Either way, it's important to remember we can never really know what goes on between two partners, and we should think about why we make the assumptions we do, Evans said. "Having this out in the world does leave an impression that plays on all the underlying gender norms and expectations about masculinity and femininity, strength and weakness, that surround us all the time." This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Macron face shoving video ignites discussion on gender
USA Today
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
The video of Macron's wife shoving his face ignites viral firestorm, discussion on gender
The video of Macron's wife shoving his face ignites viral firestorm, discussion on gender Show Caption Hide Caption French president Emmanuel downplays viral video with first lady French president Emmanuel Macron dismissed conspiracy notions after a viral video of his wife pushing him in the face. A viral video of France's first lady seemingly shoving her husband in the face is igniting a conversation about gender and physical encounters in relationships. The clip was taken after the couple landed in Hanoi, Vietnam, as part of their Southeast Asia tour. Video shows President Emmanuel Macron standing in the aircraft's open doorway when an out-of-frame hand shoves him away. The president quickly maintains his composure proceeding to smile and wave before exiting the frame and later exiting the aircraft alongside his wife, Brigitte. President Macron dismissed speculation that the first lady shoved him, telling reporters on May 26 they were just being playful. But social media is discussing whether the candid moment would be considered so lighthearted if the roles had been reversed and a male partner put his hands on a female partner's face. That image has a connotation of harm, while the opposite gets to be called a game. "No matter how viral or lighthearted it seems, putting hands on your partner isn't a joke, and it's never okay, regardless of gender," one TikToker weighed in. "It does us no favors to ignore an incident and not talk about it," says Dabney P. Evans, associate professor at the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University. Rather, Evans says, this viral moment is an opportunity to discuss what is acceptable and what isn't in a relationship. In the news: The Diddy trial details are worse than anyone expected. Will how we treat victims change? How we react to that Macron video and why it matters While some laughed off the short clip and others quickly dismissed it, those reactions on may say more about the person posting than it does about the French couple. It's a commentary about how we expect men and women in couples to behave, Evans said. "If we reflect on ourselves, what kind of judgements and assumptions (do) we make about the situation based on an image we saw, knowing information about a person's sex and gender identity?" she said. "That is a call for people to reflect on what their read is when they see this kind of video and all the layers of information about gender relations ... that are automatically overlaid onto that very simple few second snippet." And while either partner in a relationship can exhibit unhealthy behaviors, typically one person holds more power than the other, Evans said. A physical action could be a lighthearted moment, a self-defense response informed by trauma or a more nefarious attempt to exert control, she said. Either way, it's important to remember we can never really know what goes on between two partners, and we should think about why we make the assumptions we do, Evans said. "Having this out in the world does leave an impression that plays on all the underlying gender norms and expectations about masculinity and femininity, strength and weakness, that surround us all the time."
Boston Globe
07-05-2025
- Health
- Boston Globe
RFK Jr.'s effort to undermine COVID boosters is unethical
Advertisement The Washington Post Get The Gavel A weekly SCOTUS explainer newsletter by columnist Kimberly Atkins Stohr. Enter Email Sign Up 'At this point in time, our standard of care has been placebo-controlled trials,' said Jodie Guest, professor and senior vice chair of the department of epidemiology at the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University. The concern is over how Kennedy will define 'new.' It's not clear if the requirement would apply to updates of existing vaccines. For example, the pneumococcal, Hib, and measles vaccines have all been improved over the years. Most urgently, there are two vaccines — against flu and COVID — that are updated annually. The basic platform of the vaccine remains the same, but the vaccine is changed slightly to better match the strains of illness expected to be circulating in the upcoming season. Advertisement The The original COVID vaccines were tested in clinical trials against placebos. But the annual COVID booster shots, similar to flu shots, are tested by giving the shots to a test population then drawing blood and measuring antibody levels, which are correlated to how much protection the person has against disease. That type of testing involves fewer people and far less time than placebo testing. Kennedy's proposal to potentially require placebo studies for COVID boosters is neither ethical nor effective. As laid out by Advertisement Guest said requiring new placebo-based clinical trials of COVID-19 boosters would also probably take so long that it would be impossible to release annual updates — which, of course, may be exactly what Kennedy intended. To be sure, scientists and public health officials should continue studying COVID boosters over the long term to ensure they are safe and effective. Scientists should be measuring the shots' impact on illness transmission and severity among different populations, from children to the elderly, and making recommendations accordingly. They should be monitoring reports of side effects to the national Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System and claims made to the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Fund, along with relevant research by other government-based projects that monitor and research vaccine safety. There may certainly be ways to improve safety monitoring for all vaccines — for example, making it easy for vaccine recipients to report side effects via mobile app or structuring databases so researchers can easily search for trends. With any vaccine, doctors should be honest about the risks and benefits so patients and families can make educated decisions. As the Trump administration slashes government budgets, the best way to ensure vaccines remain safe and effective is by keeping in place the staff and infrastructure needed to develop, monitor, and approve vaccines. This means maintaining the databases and Advertisement But adding testing requirements that aren't science-based will only harm Americans' ability to choose the health care that's right for them. Editorials represent the views of the Boston Globe Editorial Board. Follow us
