News & commentary — marriage, family and faith
Ricardo Martins and Vanessa Lima comment on news from the US and Brazil about marriage, divorce, family and faith — and what each story teaches about your own marriage.
November Blue: 77,000 Prostate Cancer Cases a Year in Brazil — and the Man Who Cares for Everyone but Himself
As Brazil's "November Blue" men's health campaign began, CNN Brasil reported that the National Cancer Institute (INCA) projects 77,920 new prostate cancer cases a year through 2028, and that shame and fear keep many men from addressing it. Ricardo Martins reflects on the male pride that postpones health — and the couple's role in it.
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Your Teenager Still Wants to Hear From You. New Barna Research Shows It
A Barna Group survey of 1,500 U.S. teens ages 13 to 18, released October 26, 2026, finds that when teens have questions about who they are, mom (84%) and dad (78%) still rank ahead of friends, teachers, social media and AI (35%). Ricardo Martins on what this asks of parents and married couples.
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Lonely in Marriage: 1 in 4 Married Brazilians Felt Alone, Survey Finds
Brazil's 2026 Mental Health Panorama (Instituto Cactus and AtlasIntel), reported by Folha de S.Paulo, found loneliness to be the factor most linked to poor mental health. Married people felt lonely far less often than singles, yet 26.6% of them still did. Ricardo Martins reflects on loneliness inside marriage.
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Young Men Are Showing Up at Church Again. Who Will Walk With Them?
A Pew Research Center report released October 28, 2026, finds that 41% of U.S. adults ages 18 to 22 attend religious services at least monthly — and, for the first time in Pew's surveys, young men in that group attend more than young women. Ricardo Martins on what this asks of fathers, husbands and churches.
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Brazilian Weddings Ran 22% Over Budget in 2026 — and the Honeymoon Got Cut First
A Casar.com and Serasa survey reported by Valor Investe shows Brazilian couples planned to spend R$45,800 on their wedding and ended up spending R$56,200; 62.5% cut back on or gave up the honeymoon to avoid debt. Ricardo Martins comments on what that says about a couple's priorities.
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U.S. Fertility Rate Hits Another Record Low: What Are Couples Waiting For?
A CDC report released in October 2026 puts the U.S. fertility rate at about 53 births per 1,000 women ages 15–44 in 2025, the lowest on record. Ricardo Martins reflects on fear, waiting for "perfect security," and what this has to do with marriage.
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Mental health is Brazil's top health worry — and marriages are right in the middle of it
Ipsos' Health Service Report 2026, covered by Folha de S.Paulo, finds 58% of Brazilians name mental health as their country's biggest health problem, with a 21-point gap between women (68%) and men (47%). Ricardo Martins reflects on what that gap looks like inside a marriage and how a couple can become each other's first line of care.
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U.S. Divorce Rate Keeps Falling: What the New CDC Numbers Say to Your Marriage
CDC data highlighted by Axios on October 14, 2026, show the U.S. marriage rate at 6.3 per 1,000 people in 2024 and the divorce rate down to 2.3. Ricardo Martins reflects on what's behind the decline and what it teaches couples who are married today.
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“No Kids Allowed”: Brazil's Childfree Spaces and What They Say About Us
A Folha de S.Paulo report (Oct. 11, 2026) shows the rise of childfree spaces in Brazil — bars, hotels, inns and even adults-only weddings — a practice Brazil's consumer-rights institute Idec calls abusive. Ricardo Martins comments on what it reveals about how our culture sees children, and what couples and churches can do.
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“Marriage Deserts”: The New Map Showing Where Family Life Is Disappearing in America
An Institute for Family Studies report released October 8, 2026, using 2020 Census data, maps America's "marriage deserts" and "marriage gardens" — areas where only 13% to 17% of householders are married, and others where 74% to 79% are. Ricardo Martins reflects on the soil your marriage is planted in.
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82% of Brazilians Say Toddlers Shouldn't Have Phones — So Who Keeps Handing Them Over?
A survey by Brazil's Instituto Locomotiva, released October 9, 2026, ahead of Brazil's Children's Day, found that 82% of adults oppose children up to age 3 using smartphones and 83% believe kids "don't want to play outside anymore." Ricardo Martins comments on what that says about parents — and about marriage.
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Study: What Weighs Most on a Wife's Happiness Isn't the Dishes — It's the Mental Load
A study in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin (University of Southampton and colleagues), covered on October 9, 2026, finds women report higher relationship and sexual satisfaction when their husbands share the household's mental load — more so than when they share physical chores. Ricardo Martins comments on what it means for Christian husbands.
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