One in four UK adults have experienced ‘the ick’, survey finds
Almost one third of people have experienced “the ick” when dating someone new or when in a relationship, according to new research.
A YouGov survey of 2,000 UK adults, commissioned by feminine care brand WooWoo, found that women were more than twice as likely (38 per cent) to get “the ick” than men (15 per cent).
“The ick”, a term coined and populated by social media users, is a specific turn off that quickly turns attraction towards a potential partner into a feeling of disgust.
The survey found that women tend to experience the ick early on in a relationship, with more than a quarter reporting that they got it within the first month of dating.
Men are more likely to experience the ick after a year or more of being in a relationship and are more willing to work through it.
While adults of all ages reported getting the ick, it was most common among 25-34-year-olds, with 38 per cent having experienced it.
Men most commonly got the ick as a result of their partner’s poor hygiene (29 per cent), such as lack of washing, unclean teeth or having a messy house.
The second most common reason was a bad sense of humour or boring conversation (28 per cent), followed by bad habits such as nose picking or snorting (27 per cent).
Women mostly get the ick from their partner’s bad habits (43 per cent), followed by bad humour (41 per cent) and poor hygiene (40 per cent).
The survey also found disparities between different parts of the UK. Londoners are more likely to experience the ick within a month of dating (30 per cent), closely followed by people in the east Midlands and Scotland (29 per cent).
Dating expert Anna Williamson said getting the ick doesn’t have to mean the end of a relationship.
Of those surveyed, 34 per cent of men said they would try to get past an ick, while only 24 per cent of women said the same.
“Work out what it is that’s making you feel that way and then have an open conversation,” Williamson advises.
“For example, if you don’t enjoy their chat up lines, gently tell them. If it’s their personal hygiene, it really doesn’t have to be awkward, use it as an opportunity to jump in the shower together.”
