5/17    NOT a troll, please help. When I first started dating this gal I
        convinced her to get on the pill. That was really really cool for
        a while but then then she started to complain so I got her
        to be on the patch. That was ok for a while but then she complained
        so we started using the condom. That was ok for a while but now
        we rarely have sex. What's up with that?         -sex life sucking
        \_ Are either of you upset or resentful of each other?  Do you have
           worries about pregnancy?
        \_ Assuming that she's not mentally trying to keep your semen out of
           her body for whatever reason (maybe she saw you flirting with
           another girl), you can try to tell her that taking the pills helps
           lower the chance of getting breast cancer.  Maybe the patch works
           the same, I don't know.
           \_ I thought there was a correlatiion with cancer later in life, if
              one took the pill in one's youth.
              \_ Over the long term, if slightly reduces the breast cancer risk
                 and slightly increases the cervical cancer risk.  The net
                 effect is overall less cancer, but I don't know which cancer
                 is harder to treat...
                 \_ cervical, I believe. this is probably partially becasue
                    it's harder to detect. -chialea
        \_ The pill and the patch, both containing hormones, can cause mood
           changes, though that may or may not be the problem.
           \_ This is true, and furthermore, each mix of hormones can cause
              different mood changes and side effects.  It is usually expected
              that as the body gets used to the hormone mix, these effects
              subside with time.  Every doctor my girlfriend has ever had told
              her to try a birth control prescription for at least 3 months
              before giving up on it.  Did you try 3 months with the pill or
              the patch?  Also, we at least found that the patch caused much
              more problems than the pill, but this is definitely one of those
              cases where YMMV. [restored, no thanks to whoever stomped this]
        \_ Have you considered the possibility it's just plain old stress,
           fatigue, or depression?
        \_ it takes a few months for all the hormones to wash out from the
           different methods. time frames would be really helpful on this.
           In any case, I'd guess that something other than the pill is at the
           the root of your issue. Perhaps someone is stressed, perhaps you're
           not communicating... The pill can cause mood swings (enough so
           that certain people around here have bet they can track my cycle
           when I was on my last perscription), so a calendar and marking
           down moods can really help determine if they're affected by it.
           -chialea
           \_ i know this is off topic, but does anyone have any idea why
              humans are affected by the position of the moon? this seems
              really bizzare.
              \_ Not that bizarre.  Humans are mostly water, and the moon
                 pulls water.  It's not surprising something in the delicate
                 mechanism gets affected.
              \_ Because they think they are. Sad, isn't it?
        \_ Freakin' ASK her why things have changed. It's part of the freakin'
           RELATIONSHIP. If you've been swapping body fluids on a regular
           basis, you should be comfortable asking about why you're not having
           sex as often. Co-mun-ni-ca-tion. Try it. Then you can worry about
           something real instead of something made up in your mind.
           \_ JS: Alright Huxley, lets just do it the old fashioned way.
              AH: Eer,disgusting, you mean fluid transfer?
              JS: No, I mean, boning, the wild mambo, the hunka chunka.
              AH: That is no longer done. The exchange of bodily fluids. Do
                  you know what that leads to?
              JS: Yeah, I do. Kids, smoking, a desire to raid the fridge.
              \_ Ah, Sly.  Always with the witty banter.
        \_ Some people prefer not to take any kind of  hormones unless
           absolutely necessary, including some doctors who would prescribe
           them to their patients.  Do you have any problem with rubber?
        \_ How long have you been dating? My experience is that the amount
           of sex I have decreases steadily throughout the first couple
           of years until it settles at a level we are both comfortable
           with. In my current relationship it is about 3 times a week.
           Sometimes it goes up, like on vacation, sometimes it goes
           down, like when we are upset with each other, but it always
           returns to this level. Are you having less sex than you
           would like?
           \_ part of the vast right wing conspiracy no doubt.
              \_ no doubt.
                 \_ You know, Gwen Stefani and her crew straight outta
                    Orange County secretly using their mind control "hits"
                    and concert/record sales to fund overthrowing the
                    government and replace Bush, Cheney, Rummy, et al. with
                    their minions raised straight from heart of Birch, the
                    postuberneoconservatives. Fear them! If they got to this
                    guy's girlfriend, they can get to anyone. When was the last
                    time your SO (or someone else's SO, since this is soda)
                    listend to No Doubt and wanted to have sex? 'Nuff said.
                    \_ Evubody present,
                       Hey hey.
                       Evubody present,
                       The people say.
                       Evubody's president at
                       PARTY TIME.
                       Evubody here
                       Have a good climb.