A new trend is on the rise among those about to get married, and it ain't whether or not to wear a sleeveless gown. More often, those signing prenuptial agreements are including health-related clauses in their lists of musts and must nots. What used to be about money, frankly, and protection of assets, has moved to the body. For example, if a wife gets fat, her husband has the right to divorce her or perhaps leave her penniless. Let's just hope she doesn't like ice cream too much. Smoking is also finding its way into the agreements as is a due date for pregnancy (like there's much control over that one!).

Health concerns are certainly more on our minds these days as we try to swim our way out of a nation of obesity and rising healthcare costs driven by insurance companies who care more about making money for their top brass than actually helping the nation's citizens take care of themselves. Hence, it would seem natural that health concerns would be a large part of the conversation when two people decide to spend the rest of their lives together.

I suppose I could have forced my husband to be to sign a prenup stating he would remain vegetarian and raise our kids to be such, but I'm flexible and a little bit of a softy. I suppose he could have banned soft cheeses from our fridge or taken me to court. But we didn't. Maybe I could have said I wanted to have a baby by the time I was 30 or he was outta there. Know what would have happened? I'd be single and still have no kids (I am 33 and expecting number two, but didn't have number one until I was 32).

Are these people crazy to be suggesting such prenups, and worse to be agreeing to them, or are they right on the money given the way the modern world works?

It was nearly a half-century ago that science uncovered just how harmful drugs could be to a developing fetus. The threat--thalidomide. I don't even know what thalidomide is, save for the phrase from the Billy Joel song We Didn't Start the Fire, but my parents certainly did, as did the rest of the nation who discovered they were poisoning their unborn children by taking the drug. Today, the environment is decidedly different. We live in a world where information of all kinds is at our fingertips (whether true or not is another matter). The Internet and, frankly, women entering the working world have given us control over knowledge, specifically with what can or does happen to our bodies. We as women, and as the world, know more about conception, pregnancy and birth than we ever did before. So do our doctors. They also know what can go wrong, and seem to take every chance possible to ensure something terrible doesn't happen to an unborn child.

The result? Many women feel like they're nothing more than a "walking uterus" or some ovaries. They feel that doctors forget to treat the whole patient because they're so focused on the damage that could be done by, say, taking a certain medication, if the woman happens to be pregnant (whether she knows it or not). They consider the woman "pre-pregnant." Of course doctors are trying to save and preserve lives. They're also trying to avoid malpractice or other kinds of suits. What they might be missing out on, though, is that a woman is in control of her body. She can avoid getting pregnant if she wants to--especially in order to take a certain medication. Yes, there is the slight chance that she doesn't know she is pregnant, but that's a risk the medical profession might have to be willing to take in order to treat women patients fairly.

This past winter I got strep throat REALLY BAD. (Actually, it's ALWAYS really bad.) We had not been using protection and so there was a slight possibility I could be pregnant. I told the doctor, rather than him asking me, that it was a possibility, so he prescribed a different kind of medication for me. The point? Well, I took control of the situation instead of having someone do it for me. I was the one who did the talking, was aware of and responsible for what was going on with my body. And you know what? I was pregnant. And now I feel a whole heck of a lot better that I got different medication. But, it was my choice--the doctor didn't make any presuppositions about me (smart man, good doctor).

Pic by zimpenfish.

Most machinery works best when kept cool, be it mechanical, electronic, or even biological. Your car's engine has a cooling system that's pretty darn important (he writes with an experienced air) and your computers really belong in an air-conditioned room. So what about that baby factory potential dads have? Shouldn't that be kept cool for best results?

It turns out the answer is a definite yes. What's more, the proliferation of heated car seats is a step in the wrong direction. Sitting in a car to begin with heats things up more than they should be; heated seats increase the problem by a full degree Fahrenheit after just an hour. Them boys be cookin' down there!

So, perhaps the guy who takes public transit to work (and stands so others can sit) is the better choice for father material than the guy stuck in traffic in that fancy new beemer, eh?

Most people, adults or children in the know, do not like to think about their parents having sex, ever. Well, there is the fact that there's a very good chance the parents had sex in order to get said adult or child, but other than that we prefer to have our minds boggled rather than our imaginations ruined by thinking about our parents getting it on.

Not so with Matthew McConaughey. His mother, Kay McConaughey, is set to publish a sort of memoirs/tell all book about her life, and in it she gets pretty explicit about her relationship with Mateo's father, how the star was conceived and how her husband met his ultimate, if not untimely, demise. Says Kay, who married Matthew's dad three times and spent over sixteen years before conceiving, her hubby died during sex; she knew he was gone when he just wasn't responding.

More information than we will probably ever want to know. If there's one thing I want to think about LESS than my own parents having sex it's Matthew McConaughey's parents having sex and then one of them dying during it. The Sahara star did comment that if he has to go, he hopes it's a long way off, but that doing so while making whoopy would be the desired method of exit. And, I will say, for being 77, Kay McConaughey looks unbelievably amazing. Seriously. If we could all look like that when we're 77 people would never actually stop having sex.

When a spouse cheats, it's the ultimate betrayal. For most, it's a highly personal, private matter dealt with behind closed doors. For John and Elizabeth Edwards, it's been a media circus. But that wasn't always the case. Both John and Elizabeth say that he confessed the affair to her in 2006, two years before the news was made public. On the liberal blog Daily Kos, Elizabeth explained, "This was a private matter, and I frankly wanted it to be private because as painful as it was, I did not want to have to play it out on a public stage as well."

But a handful of former followers aren't satisfied with that position. They're blaming Elizabeth alongside John in the cover-up of the affair, and say that she should have never agreed to stay silent when he began his run for Democratic nominee. "I think she's complicit," said Brad Crone, "Obviously, she knew. While she's the victim, she clearly didn't stand in the way of the cover-up."

It's hard to imagine being in Elizabeth Edward's shoes, and I'm think that Brad Crone is too busy pointing fingers to try and put himself there. In reality, none of us know what happened behind closed doors when John broke that particular piece of news to Elizabeth, a blow that had to be utterly devastating. Blaming Elizabeth for actions that were mostly out of her control takes the focus off John, who is the one that let his family and his supporters down, but more importantly off the important issues that these people, perfect or not, so fervently support. I, for one, would like to see Elizabeth return to working on those issues, but it's unlikely she'll be allowed to while her personal life is still making headlines.

Despite rumors that their marriage is on the skids, Madonna and husband Guy Ritchie have renewed their vows. According to reports the two resealed the deal this past weekend in a Kabbalah ceremony in Ritchie's native London.

If reports are to be believed, Madge flew her Kabbalah teacher over from Los Angeles to lead the proceedings. The unnamed source went on to say that the pair arrived in gym clothes and changed into white robes before the vows renewal took place, stating they wanted to get through a rough patch in their marriage and make it strong again.

Let's hope if they did hit a rough patch they're working it out. Hard to say why I feel this way, but for a woman who has everything, it seems like Madonna ought to be able to have a marriage that works, too. She may be a material girl and all, but I think she deserves the right to be happy. And if being married is what will make her happy, then I say go for it and do whatever it takes to stay together! Good luck to the two!

It cost the school district over $300,000 in legal fees, sent teachers to sensitivity training, and trampled the constitutional rights of students, and yet, many in the Florida community of Ponce de Leon still support principal David Davis' "witch hunt" against gay students and those that supported them.

While he was principal of Ponce de Leon high school, one of Davis' seniors came to him to report that other students were taunting her for being a lesbian. She probably thought that Davis would do something about the situation. Well, he did, but not exactly what she had hoped. He told her that it was wrong to be a lesbian, told her parents about her sexual orientation, and began a "relentless crusade" against homosexuality. He asked students about their sexuality and told gay students to stay away from the other kids.

Ladies, start your engines. The hotness that is Jason Statham recently divulged he would very much like to be in the family way--as in, getting married and having kids. To many, this was a surprise; Statham is known for his tough guy roles more than being a sensitive softy.

Turns out he's not being too picky when it comes to finding the right lady to start that family. According to the actor he is both soft and sweet and knows the appropriate time to be said softy and send flowers, etc. He also mentioned that "beggars can't be choosers" when it comes to women dating him. Apparently he doesn't realize what a catch he is!

We wish Jason the best of luck in finding that special woman to be his wife and the mother of his children. If we weren't married with kids perhaps we'd find ourselves lining up to get his attention and perhaps be on the receiving end of some of those flowers.

Yes, he does. The action movie star recently divulged that he wants a large family to Ok! magazine. Diesel, real name Mark Sinclair Vincent, a native New Yorker, says he wants twelve kids!

Diesel recently became a father to a daughter, and apparently the experience has been a good one! Diesel and girlfriend Paloma Jimenez welcomed the tot, whose name has not been revealed, four months ago.

%Gallery-11654%

The actor says being in the movie The Pacifier solidified his desire for children. Being around all the babies awakened his paternal instincts. Yes, even the star of such movies as The Fast and The Furious has paternal instincts!

No parent would want to have to deal with a situation like this. Your teenage daughter is acting a little odd (more so, even, than one would expect of a teenager) so you decide to check things out a bit and there, on her cell phone, you find a text message from her teacher. "It happened around 9:35 at night," said the girl's mother who didn't want to be identified. "It said, 'I don't want her to find out, I don't want her to get hurt. I need to meet with you.'"

Checking the phone bill, she found many calls and messages from the teacher, at all hours. "He called her at midnight," said the mom. "They were on the phone for 30 minutes." She notified the school by phone and in writing, but, so far, the response has been a bit unimpressive and certainly not what one, as a parent, would hope for.

The school district admitted that the teacher did "communicate with [the girl] at times of the day and night that was concluded to be unprofessional" and apologized for a "lack of professional behavior." The district also said that a letter would be added to the teacher's file. As for the teen, however, she's still in his class.

After the local news media contacted the school district, the mother says they are starting to take some action and may remove the girl from his classes. I think if it were me, I would make darn sure the teacher were removed from the school, unless there were a pretty darn good reason why he was calling my teenage daughter at midnight.

%Gallery-29980%

Is there a link between having an aboriton and depression, or other psychological maladies? According to the American Psychological Association, not if a woman has only had one abortion. In a report that came out last Wednesday, women who have one abortion are no more likely to suffer depression or other mental health problems than women who go on to have their babies.

To be clear, the abortions in question were those that were elective and in the first trimester. Prior mental health as well as self-esteem issues and the fear of stigma were the main factors in post-abortion health, according to the study. Also according to the report, which I find really hard to believe, is that half--HALF!--of American women will experience an unwanted pregnancy and that about half of those--a quarter, for those of you doing the math--will get an abortion. That's a LOT of people.

I also think that it's one thing to look at a hundred studies, but it's another to talk to the women who've made this choice themselves. And yet another for those women to feel like they can be honest with their responses and reasoning behind getting an abortion. I've never had to make that choice, but I know people who have. And let me tell you something--they come from all different backgrounds, are different ages, etc. And each of those women has had to deal with the decision she made for the rest of her life. I am all for women being in charge of their bodies and strongly support the pro-choice movement, but to say that having an abortion doesn't affect a woman's mental health (for better or worse), at least for some period of time, might be a little misleading.

Did you and your significant other take a break from the kids this summer? Did you jet off to some exotic locale and enjoy some one-on-one with the one you love? Yeah, me neither. In fact, I don't know one single couple who managed to get away from the kids and spend some quality time alone together this summer. This is definitely good news for our bank accounts, but what about our relationships?

In these times of rising prices and economic uncertainty, what are parents supposed to do when they need a little time to reconnect without the pitter patter of little feet to distract them? A dinner out is nice, but a lot of couples are opting for an adult staycation. It's just like the family staycations we've been talking about, minus the family.

Checking into a local hotel for a night or two may seem a waste with kids, but it definitely has some appeal for parents alone. Lining up a weekend sitter and escaping to a nearby resort or just a nice downtown hotel is the perfect way to get away without getting too far away. I don't know about you, but the opportunity to lounge by a pool, sleep late and order room service is all I really want from a vacation anyway. What about you? Have you enjoyed an adult staycation this year?

Looks like being married doesn't necessarily make you healthier than being single. A new study from Michigan State University points to the gap narrowing between married men and their bachelor counterparts with regard to health. Those who are confirmed bachelors should perk up at this--according the results of the study they have as much longevity as married men.

Widowers, however, claimed to be in poorer health than their still-married counterparts. The study also suggested that both widows and widowers need to be ingratiated into the community in order to sustain themselves emotionally and physically.

The study covered over a million surveys taken from people between the ages of 25 and 80 with a time span covering 1972 to 2003. During those approximately thirty years a lot of notions about marriage have changed. People are getting married later in life or not at all and divorce is more common place. No word on whether these factors were considered in the results, which showed more never-married men confirming each year they were happy.

"Mommy, what's a b job? This is a question that the mother of an eight-year-old grapples with in the new book "So Sexy, So Soon." Needless to say, when I read this, shivers went down my spine. I have an eight-year-old and though I would like to think that I wouldn't get that question for at least another seven years, it's probably an unrealistic expectation given the toxic cultural environment our kids live in.

Even the most vigilant parent cannot avoid the probability that their child will be exposed to terms and images many of us never saw or thought about until we were well into our high school years.

For one, not all parents are vigilant. Your child is bound to interact with those kids at some point. Moreover, things that were once safe, like say, the 5 o'clock news, now commonly reference once taboo subjects like oral sex (thanks a lot, Bill!) or are sponsored by products like Viagra (thanks a lot, Bob Dole!). Frankly, I think every child should have the right to enter adolescence without knowing about erectile dysfunction.

I'm a firm believer that our sexualized culture and the disturbing trend toward an accelerated adolescence are hurting girls (and boys, as my readers have reminded me) and I have blogged extensively about it. Sadly, too many kids are being robbed of their childhood and innocence by this phenomenon.

What's a parent to do? The truth is I don't know what I would have said to that eight year old. But I want to start preparing for that and other questions I know are coming sooner, rather than later. I intend to buy the book, but I also want to use this column to collect as many stories and anecdotes I can from other readers on what they did and said when their child approached them with a difficult question about sex. ParentDish is the perfect forum for this kind of exchange. I also hope readers will share what they wish they had said or done? There is so much we can learn from each other.

We may not be able to stop the cultural trends, but in the very least, we owe it to our children to try to be as informed and prepared as possible to handle their questions. If you have a personal story or comment that you think would help other readers please share it. I am TRULY looking forward to all of your comments.

Scott Muschany, a Missouri state representative, has been indicted in connection with a sexual assault on the fourteen-year-old daughter of a state employee with whom Muschany was romantically involved. Muschany is married with two children of his own and is a licensed foster parent. What makes Muschany different from other toe-tapping politicians (or, perhaps, not so different) is that he was the co-sponsor of bills that toughened laws regarding sex offenders (2006) and supported abstinence education (2007).

It seems, however, that that whole abstinence thing doesn't apply to his girlfriend's daughter. The charges are just that, as of yet -- allegations of wrongdoing. Still, this is not the first time a conservative politician has been caught involved in what he was so vehemently against. (I wonder why you never hear of liberal politicians getting caught going to church or trying to pick up members of the opposite gender?)

I guess the important lesson here is to keep your kids away from politicians. I think, though, that that's probably a good idea in general, even without a scandal.