Romance trips on question of having kids

DEAR ABBY: I'm a 67-year-old single white man. My girlfriend is 21 and African-American. We have been together a year and a half and are deeply in love. We have lots of fun together and go out and do things. When we are out together, people often stare at us. She's very attractive and turns heads. I tell her everyone is looking at her because she is so beautiful, but that's probably not totally true. We want to be together, but I'm reluctant. The love feels good and true, but the rest is scary. We would like to have children, but she wonders if there is any risk in having a child with me. We have tried to break up, but we missed each other so much we got back together. We have a very active sex life. Do you have any advice? — Uncertain in Ohio DEAR UNCERTAIN: People may stare because of the large discrepancy in your ages or because they aren't used to seeing interracial couples. Because you are concerned about how things will play out if the two of you decide to start a family, it would be wise to get genetic counseling because of your age. While 67 isn't over the hill, the decision to embark on starting a family at that age may depend upon your overall health and the life expectancy in your family. Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.