ABSTRACT
One of the more distressing myths about women and marriage is the oft-repeated claim about the prevalence of domestic abuse among married women. In terms of their personal well-being, married women suffer less from depression than those women who are not married or who co-habitate. Marriage provides "particularly high psychological benefits" and significantly lowers the risk of suicide. Being married benefits women both physically and mentally. The research showing the differences between the health of single women compared to that of married women is remarkable. It has become a truism in American culture that men cannot afford to get married; getting married costs too much and supporting a wife is too expensive. Many couples delay marriage for financial reasons, but the reality is that the husband could be earning more money as a married man than as a single one, and, together, they could be doing much better financially.
