Freedom And Intimacy: Helping Couples Make (And Keep) A Connection (NAPSA)—Today’s demanding lifestyles make it a challenge for couples to feel free to be romantic—particularly for parents. Get- ting the kids ready for school as well as preparing for the upcoming busy season just compounds the problem. Women, especially, are feeling the pressure. According to a new national survey sponsored by Mirena, more women than men admit that romance is one of the top three activities they postpone due to life’s everyday demands. However, more than 75 percent of both sexes agree that simplifying their busy, complicated lives would free them up to be more romantic. “Couples have every intention of making time for romance, butlife keeps getting in their way,” explains Dr. Laura Berman,a rela- tionship expert who is also an assistant clinical professor of OBGYN and Psychiatry at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University, director of the Berman Center in Chicago and mother of three children. “For most couples, it’s not so much a question of eliminating activities but rather of simplifying their lives to become more in tune with their partner’s needs, and to create the a Vay A new form of contraception gives women more freedom in intimacy for up to five years. that helps couples keep life sim- ple because there’s no daily, weekly or monthly regimento fol- low. Mirena is 99.9 percent effective and provides up to five years of birth control (or less, if you choose to become pregnant). Stud- ies show a woman’s chances of getting pregnant after Mirenais removed are similar to women who had not been using any form of birth control. “Taking away the worries and hassles associated with contraception is one of the easiest ways that women and mencan simplify their romantic lives and foster more Eliminating The Hassle spontaneous intimacy,” says Mary Jane Minkin, M.D., clinical professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology women are able to “simplify” their more than 99 percent effective, emotional space for romance.” One of the ways both men and lives is to take away the worry and hassle of contraception. The majority of men and womensur- veyed agree that not having to worry about the hassle of condoms or taking a birth control pill daily would help them feel free to be romantic. Mirena (levonorgestrel-releas- ing intrauterine system) is a has- sle-free, reversible contraceptive at Yale Medical School. “Mirena is which makes it as effective as tubal ligation (sterilization), yet it’s reversible and can be removed at any time if a woman chooses to have anotherchild.” Mirenais cost-effective in comparison to cyclical birth control methods that require monthly payments. To learn more about Mirena, visit Www.mirena-us.com. Note to Editors: While only you and your doctor can determine whether Mirena is right for you, most women who have a child are typically good candidates for Mirena. You should not use Mirena ifyou areat risk for or have a history of ectopic pregnancy or pelvic inflammatory disease. Common side effects may include missed menstrual periods or irregular bleeding or spotting for the first 3-6 months. Thereafter, most women will experience shorter, lighter periods. Some women may develop a cyst on their ovaries. These cysts usually disappear on their own in a month or two. Mirena does not protect against HIV (AIDS) and other sexually transmitted diseases.
