The economic turmoil that has plagued America since 2008 is sometimes called the “mancession” due to its harsher impact on men than women. Statistics indicate that 10.4 percent of men are unemployed in comparison to eight percent of women.

Due to this shift, researchers say they are observing changes in traditional gender roles, as men increasingly become financially dependent on female partners. In the past, of course, men were always considered the “breadwinners” in traditional families.

“It changes how men think of themselves,” said Ilana Demantas, study researcher. “Usually men see themselves as supporters of the family, and since a lot of them are no longer able to do that alone on their income, they have to construct their identity in a new way to allow them to still think positively of themselves.”

While some of men suffer from depression, many are embracing domestic chores such as childcare or housework.

“Before unemployment, while they very much valued ‘women’s work,’ men still constructed their identity in a way that allowed them to remain in charge,” said Demantas. “Working was a way to say, ‘I’m the man.’”

“But now,” she continued, “managing the family is a way to see themselves as men. So they’ve actually used ‘women’s work’ to see themselves as contributing to the family. This seems to be a silver lining in a very bleak recession.”

Furthermore, the men involved in the study did not seem to resent their wives or girlfriends for being employed while they were not. Rather, the men felt positively about the situation.

“They very much felt grateful that women were employed,” said Demantas. “One subject said, ‘I’m so lucky that my wife is still working, and she has a great insurance policy.’ Another said, ‘If she weren’t working, I’d be sleeping in a car or something.’ And some of our subjects take up more household work. One of the subjects said he woke up early and made coffee for his wife because it was the one nice thing he could do for her since he wasn’t contributing economically.”

Though the disparity between men’s and women’s employment levels has evened out somewhat over time, the researchers still say that the idea of masculinity is at a new crossroads thanks to the recession.

“Men’s identities have changed,” Demantas said. “They’re proud to contribute to the household, to make up for the work their wives are doing. Yet, they still maintain household authority, holding onto their identities as ‘men’ any way they can.”

The study will be presented at 106th Annual Meeting of the American Sociological Association.

In the news, we increasingly hear about public figures behaving badly on the internet and on their cell phones – such as Anthony Weiner, Brett Favre and Tiger Woods, to name a few examples.

However, though cyberspace and texting have opened up new channels for sex and infidelity, there is no substitute for physical, face-to-face contact, according to a new study.

Researchers investigated the behaviors of people who committed infidelity through the internet and by “sexting” – sending sexually explicit text messages and photographs.  More than 5,000 people who were members of an “infidelity” website were involved in the study.

The survey found that over two-thirds of the participants had cheated online while in a serious relationship, but over three-quarters had cheated in real life.  Women were more likely to engage in sexting behaviors than men, but both sexes were equally as likely to have cheated both online and in real life.

Moreover, the goal of most members of the infidelity website was to find real-life partners for dating and sexual encounters, rather than online-only partners.

“Our research suggests that as technology changes, the way people find each other and the way they attract a potential partner also changes,” the researchers said.  “While social networking sites are increasingly being used for social contact, people continue to be more interested in real-life partners, rather than online partners. It seems that, at some point in a relationship, we need the physical, face-to-face contact. Part of the reason for this may be that, ultimately, humans are social creatures.

The study was published in the journal Sexuality & Culture.

So, guess what I’m getting my wife for Valentine’s Day?

Something I believe is the greatest gift any man can give his loved one: The Key.

The Key is a heart-shaped container made of sand-casted iron. The inside is hollow and just large enough to fit a personal message or small item.

I just love this concept because it brings back all the mystery, passion — and most importantly — the mysticism that any relationship should have. And according ancient Swedish tradition, couples who receive The Key will remain together forever.

It’s up to you and your significant other to decide what you’d like to have placed inside The Key. Most couples choose to write heartfelt notes, which they send to the manufacturer without revealing to each other what they wrote. The Key is then sealed, with the gifts inside, by a lid of iron or brass.

The Key can never be opened, so it will always be a mystery to each partner exactly what the other placed inside.

This is what I like so much about the gift. You and your partner are committed to keep a secret about your love.

Sure, a ring or some other piece of jewelry is a much more conventional gift for Valentine’s Day. But, to be honest, I never really understood where the concept of buying a ring came from.

Yes, I’m aware of the history behind it, and yes, for many of us having a ring on our fingers represents our deepest commitment to a relationship, but I think that this secret key is much deeper than that.

After all, when you’ve lived with someone for years – when you’re there for the mundane and the thrilling, the happy and the sad, the angry and the quiet moments in each other’s lives – it can be hard to keep things hidden from each other.

That leads to a complaint that we all hear fairly often from couples: There’s no excitement here anymore. The “butterflies in the stomach” feeling that we enjoyed during early courtship is gone.

Some couples go to extreme lengths to get it back.  They lie or pick fights or even, sometimes, have affairs. All of these actions are regretful and messy and often lead to the dissolution of what was once a good relationship.

However, I see The Key as one simple way of reviving that “butterfly” feeling.  You will always wonder what your loved one chose to put inside, but you’re never going to be able to open it without destroying the mysticism and wonder that it offers.

You can always take a ring off, but you can never open The Key.

You can find more information on The Key at http://www.secretofthekey.com

One reason—if not the main reason—we diet and exercise is that we want to look good to the opposite sex (or maybe the same sex).

And, of course, one reason—if not the main reason—we want to do that is to be attractive to our (real or imagined) sexual partner.

Now, what does any of this have to do with health, you wonder? The answer is, plenty. A healthy sex life improves your overall quality of life. It improves your immune system because it significantly relieves stress. Good physical exercise burns calories, and it improves your mood by pumping endorphins into your bloodstream that make you feel good. It also plays a key role in keeping couples together, so the benefits of sex are innumerable.

But once you get on into your forties, you might find your sex drive shifting into a lower gear. This diminished or lack of sex drive is more common in women than it is in men. Even men with erectile dysfunction usually have a normal sex drive. While libido problems can be either physical or psychological, the root causes tend to be the same in both sexes. Alcoholism is the main physical factor responsible for a decreased libido; another is drug abuse, of cocaine, for example.

Obesity and anemia are other potential physical problems. And there are certain tumors of the pituitary gland that increase the hormone prolactin, which lowers the libido. Some prescribed medications, especially antidepressants, lower the level of the hormone testosterone, which is needed by both sexes to maintain an adequate sex drive. Psychological factors influencing libido include depression, stress, and confusions about sexual orientation.

Anyone with a lack of sexual desire should first try to take these factors out of the equation. So if you’re drinking excessively, overweight, depressed, or taking medications, these issues need to be dealt with to resolve a flagging libido. Counseling can help with the psychological problems of sexual hang-ups, depression, or stress.

There is no magic remedy for the loss of sexual libido. Though testosterone has been identified as a key hormone that improves sexual appetite in women, doctors who have been giving women testosterone supplements for the past 30 years have found that it has little effect on their libido, while it sometimes causes facial hair growth, a deepened voice, and an enlargement of the clitoris.

I have no doubt that one day there will be a libido pill for women and men, as I’m sure the drug companies are hard at work on this potentially lucrative solution.

There are a number of other sexual problems that women may experience at any age. One is dyspareunia, or painful sexual intercourse. Any part of the genitals can cause pain during sex, including the skin around the vagina. Vaginal infections, like yeast infections or viral infections, are a common cause, and the pain can be felt when either a tampon or penis is inserted into the vagina. It can also occur from just sitting or wearing pants. To treat dyspareunia, physicians may recommend hormone creams, dilators to help stretch the vagina, Kegel exercises, or, in rare cases, antidepressants.

Another potential cause of dyspareunia is vaginismus, an involuntary contraction of the vaginal muscles that may prevent insertion of the penis during intercourse. The diagnosis of vaginismus is usually problematic because it’s often difficult to separate the physical pain with the emotional anxiety of experiencing that pain; in other words, just the fear of the pain can cause vaginismus.

Any woman complaining of these symptoms should be taken seriously. A doctor must conduct a physical examination to eliminate the possibility of such physical causes as infections, fibroids, or anatomical deformities of the uterus, ovaries, or vagina. Even vaginal dryness can cause painful sex. A decrease in estrogen at menopause can cause the vaginal walls to become dry, creating a discomfort or pain during intercourse.

If there are no treatable physical conditions, it’s important to discuss the woman’s feelings as well as the physical situations that lead to this type of discomfort. Some women have a very positive attitude toward sex; other women have had negative sexual experiences that play a significant role in their fears and negative feelings about sex.

Some women may have a history of sexual abuse, rape, or trauma, for instance; these things need to be identified in a very delicate way. Treatment of vaginismus usually involves practicing relaxation techniques and doing Kegel exercises to relax the vaginal muscles. At home, one exercise that may prove beneficial is to have your partner gradually insert a dilator into your vagina. This must be done at a pace with which you feel comfortable until the pain and discomfort are overcome. Partner, doctor, and patient all have to be in sync for this type of therapy to be successful.

Many women experience discomfort or pain at the time of their period. This pain is caused by contractions of the muscle of the uterus during menstruation that occur due to the release of the prostaglandins, which are hormones that are produced in the lining of the uterus. For most women these menstrual contractions are neither severe nor disabling. But some women experience significant menstrual pains called dysmenorrhea.

Women suffering from dysmenorrhea should exercise, get plenty of sleep, and avoid stress. Over-the-counter painkillers can minimize the amount of prostaglandins released, and they usually help reduce the pain. If the painkillers are not effective, your doctor will have to look for other things that are causing the pain. And ultrasound is sometimes used in such cases to make sure you don’t have any other medical conditions, like pelvic inflammatory disease, endometriosis, or fibroids.