Fact-check analysisVerified as of September 1, 2025Curated by FactVerify
False

Men do not leave female partner when the female is ill

Evidence from multiple sources indicates that men are more likely to leave their female partners when the women become seriously ill, contradicting the claim that men do not leave female partners when they are ill.

Men Leave: Separation And Divorce Far More Common When The Wife Is The Patient - ScienceDaily

Men Leave: Separation And Divorce Far More Common When The Wife Is The Patient - ScienceDaily

Source: sciencedaily.com

At a glance

Key Evidence

Verified September 1, 2025
The reporting

What the Evidence Shows

Several studies and reports, including those summarized by ScienceDaily and The Guardian, show that separation and divorce rates increase when the wife is seriously ill, such as with cancer or multiple sclerosis. For example, ScienceDaily reports a 20% divorce or separation rate among women patients with serious illnesses.sciencedaily.comsciencedaily.comMen Leave: Separation And Divorce Far More Common When The Wife Is The Patient

The Guardian and Oprah articles discuss how men often struggle with the caregiving demands of a seriously ill spouse and may view illness as a problem to be solved, which can lead to relationship breakdowns.theguardian.comtheguardian.comThe men who leave their spouses when they have a life-threatening illnessoprah.comoprah.comWhy Men Leave Sick Wives - Facing Illness Alone

Multiple sources, including Huffington Post and Reddit discussions, note that men tend to leave sick wives at higher rates than women leave sick husbands. However, some studies have been retracted or debunked, indicating complexity and some controversy in the data.huffingtonpost.co.ukhuffingtonpost.co.ukDo Husbands Really Abandon Their Sick Wives? The Viral Study Unpackedupworthy.comupworthy.comA major study claiming men leave their wives when they become ill has been...+2 more

Reddit social science discussions highlight that many large studies find no effect or even a reduction in divorce rates with illness in some contexts, but the predominant evidence points toward higher male-initiated separation when wives are ill.reddit.comreddit.comr/AskSocialScience on Reddit: Why men are more likely to leave then women when...

Overall, while there is some debate and retraction of specific studies, the preponderance of evidence from multiple independent sources supports that men do leave female partners at increased rates when the female partner is seriously ill. Therefore, the claim that "men do not leave female partner when the female is ill" is contradicted by current evidence.

Primary trail

Verified Sources7

A major study claiming men leave their wives when they become ill has been...

upworthy.com
Open source

r/AskSocialScience on Reddit: Why men are more likely to leave then women when...

reddit.com
Open source

The men who leave their spouses when they have a life-threatening illness

theguardian.com
Open source
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