I have to admit that I’ve seen plenty of knocked up women recently and wondered what on Earth are they thinking having a baby during a recession.
As cute and wonderful as newborns are, they’re not exactly cost effective in times of economic downturn.
I usually keep such comments to myself, though. I don’t want to be on the receiving end of a back hand from a pregnant woman, you know? But thanks to the Chicago Sun-Times I now know that I’m not alone in this line of thinking.
The paper reported on the growing phenomenon of legally bound couples deciding to forgo a good sex life in order to dodge potential pregnancies.
A survey by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists found that 17 percent of married women say the economy has delayed their interest in starting or expanding a family. The debate over whether or not economy strife truly sets the stage for a nationwide decline in baby breeding wages on, but one thing is for sure: Many couples are petrified of creating a budget-busting baby.
Thus those who choose to still engage in sexual relations have taken precaution – leading to a surge in sales of condoms and morning after pills, along with a heightened interest in vasectomies and permanent contraceptives like Essure for women.
Given the state of the economy and conflicting theories on when it will recover, the latter move seems like proper protocol in family planning. But isn’t it a bit extreme to cut out sex altogether?
In some cases, you may already be jobless, financially strapped, and possibly hopeless. Would becoming a sexless spouse out of paranoia really give you piece of mind? I’m no expert, but might such a move only heighten anxiety and frustration?
I’d love to get the thoughts of married couples on this.
How has the economy affected your marriage, particularly what goes on in your bedroom? Has the thought of adding an additional mouth to feed put a strain on your marriage in any way?
Or are you thinking, “I’m married. It’s not like I was having sex anyway?”
I keed, I keed.
Please post your comments below or email me at therecessiondiaries@gmail.com.
Michael Arceneaux hails from Houston, lives in Harlem and praises Beyoncé’s name wherever he goes. Follow him on Twitter.