Mirth Control: Contraception Is a Laughing Matter

Birth control is a shared responsibility. Treat it as such and it can bring you closer by freeing up your sex life. Lay it all on one partner and it can drive a wedge between you.

Why You Should Care
Cheaper By the Dozen was a really funny book and movie, but it was a work of fiction. Nothing pegs the stress meter like the prospect of an unwanted pregnancy.

What You Can Do
Even if one partner has always been the one to "deal with" birth control, make it part of community property in your relationship. Beyond the obvious benefit of finding the best birth control for you both, it demonstrates your willingness to share responsibility for a critical decision. Also, it is an effective vehicle for talking about your health issues, family plans, and of course your sex life—all things worth hashing out with each other.

Excerpted from Finding the Doorbell: Sexual Satisfaction for the Long Haul by Cindy Pierce and Edie Thys Morgan, published by Nomad Press, available everywhere books are sold and at www.ipgbook.com.