Doctor's Advice: Can I become pregnant?

Q I am a 16-year-old girl and I am very worried. On Friday, I went to the movies with my boyfriend. We became sexually excited and I handled him, but he did not go as far as ejaculation. However, he did produce some pre-cum moisture. Later on, he touched my vulva. Is it possible that his moisture might have got from his hands into my vagina? And could this make me pregnant?

Technically, this is just possible, but the odds of pregnancy must be at least 10,000:1.

I expect that you have had your menses by now, so you have probably ceased fretting. Nevertheless, this story is a warning not only to you, but to all young couples who go in for heavy petting. You see, once you start doing this kind of thing, it is very easy to go a step further.

Next time, you might allow him to actually ejaculate near your vagina. And after that, enter you for just a moment. And the next thing you know - BOOM! You're pregnant.

So my advice to you, and to all other young couples who are feeling the heat of sexual passion is this: whatever you do, keep your clothes on.

You see, if a boy has his trousers on but doesn't unzip them, it is more or less impossible for him to get a girl pregnant.

Similarly, if a girl keeps a layer of clothing over her intimate parts, and doesn't let her boyfriend under that layer of clothing, she is unlikely to conceive a baby.

Next time you go to the movies, try to keep that rule in mind.

Q I am a young guy, and I have a question. A friend told me that men who masturbate take a longer time to reach a climax. Is that true?

I don't believe I have ever read a scientific research paper which said anything like this!

The honest truth is that most young men masturbate, and there is no medical evidence which shows that this has any effect - whether good or bad - on their subsequent sex life.

Oddly enough, it has been shown that, for some reason, masturbation makes you less likely to get cancer of the prostate in later life.

Q I am fed up with taking the Pill. And I have heard that there is now a thing called 'the male Pill'. So I am going to try to get my boyfriend to take it. Does it work OK, Doc?

I am sorry to disappoint you, but although scientists are working on the 'male Pill', there is no chance that it will be ready before around 2015.

Whether guys will be willing to take it is quite another matter!

Q I am female and 19 years of age, and I am very concerned about some 'bumps' on the outside of my genitals. They tend to swell up just before a period, and I think there is some thick, pus-like substance in them. The heads are a little reddish. My parents are overprotective, so I can't tell them about this. I have never even been to a doctor on my own.

It is difficult for me to diagnose something like this without actually examining you, but what you describe sounds very much like infected hair follicles.

A follicle is the little 'pit' out of which hair grows. In young women, it is extremely common for these tiny holes to develop a very minor infection. This is no big deal, and it is not caused from sex.

I hope you can see that the time has come for a doctor to have a look at these little bumps in order to make an accurate diagnosis and to prescribe something for you. As you are 19, there is no reason why you shouldn't go to a doc on your own.

But why not confide in your mother, and ask her to go along with you?

Q I am a 19-year-old male, and still a virgin, and I have a very short organ. I am wondering if losing my virginity could give me some extra length?

Definitely not. However, I must tell you that the vast majority of young men who think that they are 'very short' are completely wrong.

Again and again, I have seen male patients who thought that they were short, but who, in fact, were completely normal. See a doc and have him check you out for size.

Q I would like you to brief me about 'emergency contraception'. I am female and 16. I haven't had sex yet, but I was wondering which brand and type of morning-after pill would be best for me?

Sorry, but it doesn't make much sense to be planning to use the so-called morning-after pill when you have never even had sex.

This tablet contains quite a powerful dose of hormone, and you should only take it if you absolutely need to.

I would urge you not to rush into sex, since you are only 16. When you eventually do decide to go ahead, I implore you to use some good method of contraception, like the Pill, the condom, the jab or the coil.

If you ever do need to use what people call the morning-after pill, you should consult a doctor or a pharmacist. Traditional types can be taken up to 72 hours (three days) after unprotected sex. But there is a new type which can be taken as late as 120 hours (five days) after sex.

Also, there is something called the post-coital coil. This is an intrauterine device (IUD) which can be inserted at anytime up to five days after intercourse.

Q I'm a female who has been experiencing somewhat sexually transmitted infection symptoms. Last August, I developed bad vaginal odour and a white discharge. In October, I finally decided to go to a clinic. They did an HIV and a syphilis test because that's the only two tests that they did. Those came back negative. But I am still getting the symptoms. What should I do? I plan to go to a doctor as soon as I get some money.

Well, your symptoms are nothing like those of HIV or syphilis. I suspect that you do have a vaginal infection, but it may well be something which is a nuisance but is relatively harmless, like bacterial vaginosis (BV).

Go to a good doc. If you do have BV, it should be fairly easy to treat. Meantime, please do not have sex! From the rest of your very long email, I deduce that intercourse with your boyfriend is kind of stirring things up in your vagina.

Furthermore, you seem to be constantly fretting about the possibility of pregnancy. So why not just give up intercourse until you have seen that doc and got good advice about all aspects of your sex life? I wish you well.

Email questions and comments tosaturdaylife@gleanerjm.com.