Even amongst my closest male friends, I've noticed something of a pattern: Men generally don't like to talk about their problems. I recently wrote to a friend who uncharacteristically forgot my birthday this year. To my surprise, he told me he'd had surgery and had been in recovery for two weeks.  He didn't seem inclined to talk much about it; in fact, he didn't even disclose what kind of surgery he'd had. I'm in a similar boat with yet another male friend, who recently broke up with his fiancée of three years and has been scant on details.  This despite the fact that I, as a man, have been transparent with them about my health and relationship woes in the past.  I understand not everyone is at the same comfort level when it comes to divulging personal information, even to close friends.  But these very men have a tendency to pry into the affairs of others. They may ask questions of me that they wouldn't answer themselves if it were the other way around....

Recently, I published a post in which I shared an interesting finding -- that people can feel just as embarrassed buying sensitive products like condoms online as they would in person. To read the entry, click here:  Buying condoms online can be just as embarrassing . Something I feel would be worth digging up research on is the following: How often do men feel so embarrassed that they make their partners purchase the condoms for them? I spoke to someone on this blog who said she's been the one to do the condom shopping in her past two relationships. I feel men who leave it to their wives to procure protection because they're too embarrassed to do it themselves are being, shall I say, wusses? After all, women who opt to go on the pill have to make sure they take it every day at the same time and that they don't exhaust their supply. If the man is going to protect himself, he should be the one to buy the condoms. Even if he feels embarrassed, there's absolutely...