DEAR ABBY: Many letters you print come from women who seem shocked because they've ended up with men who have little or no character. However, I have never dated a man who could hide his true colors longer than six months.
You often advise these women to seek counseling or an attorney, but for the millions of women who haven't yet made these mistakes, how about a shout-out for prevention? Amazingly, not getting legally attached and not allowing yourself to become pregnant by a man you've known only a few weeks isn't considered common sense anymore.
The heart is ungovernable, but people do have absolute control over using birth control and getting married. What percentage of women's problems do you think could be avoided if, for the first year of dating someone, they used birth control 100 percent of the time and didn't rush to get married? -- PERPLEXED IN PEORIA
DEAR PERPLEXED: I'd say about 50 percent -- but I may be underestimating by a long shot.