Dating and Relationships 2009

Feel as if a sexual rut has taken hold of your relationship and the passion may never return? Maybe this is an accepted fate after several years of togetherness. Marriages and long-term relationships aren't supposed to include sex, right? "Married people have more sex on average than people who aren't in relationships," says Barry McCarthy, a tenured professor of psychology at American University and a certified marital and sex therapist. McCarthy is also the author

Couples disagree. That's a fact of life -- but there's a right way and a wrong way to air your grievances. Just as it does with boxers in the ring, a fair fight between partners starts with a few ground rules. "Each fight has the potential to be a learning experience rather than a war that builds a wall of anger," says Sharon M. Rivkin, author of "Breaking the Argument Cycle: How to Stop Fighting without Therapy" ($14.95, GPP Life). "With ground rules, there is a better chance for the couple to understand each other, hear each other, resolve the argument and actually build more intimacy."

Is fidelity an idealistic concept? Household computers and the Internet, individual cell phones, busy schedules of career couples, ATM access to money, and easy, speedier travel -- the opportunities to have an affair are many. A recent Loveology University survey conducted by Leanna Wolfe, Ph.D., reports: "Our survey attracted a very large percentage of people who had participated in the cheating triangle (being a cheater, cheated upon and/or a secret lover). Random sample surveys report about 22 percent of married men and 14 percent of married women cheat, while 67

Regardless of how long a couple have been together, spending some quality time alone together is a key factor in maintaining a healthy relationship. Pressures on our time from work, kids and keeping the house from falling down all too often keep couples so busy that romantic nights out or even simple hand-in-hand strolls in the park become rare events -- if they happen at all. Like many other things in life, what we get out of a relationship depends on what we put into it. For many busy

Having a sexually transmitted infection can make a dent in a relationship, but it doesn't have to wreck it. That may be one of the few bright spots for each of the millions of people in the United States, Canada and elsewhere who suffers from one of more than a dozen common infections acquired through sexual contact, including chlamydia, gonorrhea and genital herpes.

Instead of having an expensive date every once in a while, you can show your loved one that you care every week, if not every day. Here are some ways to be romantic without breaking the bank.

Some arguments are inevitable in any relationship, but some of them can be downright toxic. If you detect some of these following warning signs, you may want to look for someone else for intimacy.

It is estimated that 33 million people are living with HIV, which causes AIDS, around the world. Among them, more than 1 million live in the United States alone.