How disgust fragments our intimate lives

The “ick,” a colloquial term for feelings of disgust, has become a hot-button topic in modern conversations about relationships. Disgust is an emotion that evolved to keep us from engaging with things that could make us sick or from having sex with people who are in our immediate family, but disgust has started to interfere with our romantic and sexual lives in harmful ways. Individuals with a higher sensitivity to disgust are more likely to have problems with sexual pain and desire. Disgust particularly poses problems in relationships when one partner has a different threshold for disgust than another, resulting in negative outcomes for sexual and relationship satisfaction. My graduate research focuses on how disgust impairs our sexual experiences and how individuals and couples respond to feelings of disgust in ways that strengthen or harm their relationships. While humans are wired to experience disgust, it need not damage our intimate lives. This image seeks to demonstrate that disgusting things are present all around us, from disgusting garbage and spoiled food to dirty dishes and bodily fluids. We must learn to look past what is disgusting to embrace the love and connection we need and deserve that lies underneath.