Doctor's advice - Sex eases cramps

Q. Doctor, I am a 21-year-old woman who has terrible trouble with periods. The only thing that seems to make them better is sex. I think I was about 13 when they started; then, I never had any period pain. But over the last six years, I have had increasingly bad menstrual cramps. My mother has given me tablets, but these don't help. However, I have now discovered that having sex with my boyfriend does ease the pain considerably, especially if I discharge. What should I do? I have heard that it is medically dangerous to have sex during the menses, but I do need the pain relief.

Sorry to hear about all this. Many young women find that their early periods - that is, when they are around 13 or 14 - are painless. But, as they get into their mid-teens, really bad menstrual pain begins.

The reason for that is quite simple: In early menstrual cycles, at age 13 or 14, there is often no ovulation (egg release). And if there is no ovulation, there is usually no period pain.

Ovulation usually begins around age 15. And from then on, the menstrual pain may be bad. That is what happened to you.

Now, you have found that sex eases your period pain, particularly if you climax.

This is not surprising. Gynaecologists have been aware for some years that orgasm eases the pain of a period. I am a little doubtful as to whether sex which does not induce orgasm would help many women, but you say that it works for you

So, I would advise you that it is perfectly all right to continue what you are doing and utilise sex as a way of relieving menstrual pains.

What you have heard about sex during the periods being bad for health is wrong. Admittedly, it can be rather messy, and not everyone likes it. But it will certainly do you no harm health-wise.

However, the really important thing I want to say is this: Nowadays, young women should NOT have to put up with severe menstrual pain. There are medications which will cure it, for instance, by stopping you from ovulating for a while. Go see a doc and ask her to help you get rid of this monthly agony.

Q. I am 36 years old, and after having sex with my girlfriend I realised that some tiny bumps have formed on the head of my penis. Though they are not painful, they leave me with a feeling of uneasiness during and after the act. Also, there is a slight discharge, which is smelly. Could you advise?

Well, very small bumps on the head of the male organ are usually of no significance at all. However, I am concerned about the fact that you say you have developed a smelly discharge.

That strongly suggests that you have got some sort of infection. And if that is so, then it is likely that your girlfriend has it too. So I suggest that both of you should see a doctor for tests right away. Do not have sex till you have consulted the doc.

Q. Doc, I am really worried. I am a 22-year-old guy. What I have noticed is this: At the moment of orgasm, I produce fluid in the normal way.  But what is alarming is that the spray doesn't project as far as it used to when I was a teenager. This is quite frightening for me, Doctor. Is it a sign of some serious disease? Or do you think I will lose my nature within the next few years?

Please relax. What you have witnessed is an entirely natural phenomenon. The famous US sex researchers Masters and Johnson have shown in lab experiments that younger teenagers do indeed ejaculate quite long distances, such as one to two feet (30cm to 60cm), and sometimes more.

However, within a few years, this changes. In adult males, the distance achieved is usually much less, for instance two to three inches (which is 5cm-7.5cm). There is nothing abnormal about this. It is just what happens to the human body.

I should warn you that by the time you are 50 or 60, the distance will probably be appreciably less. However, this reduction in distance does not indicate that anything is wrong with you, or that you are becoming impotent. Quit fretting.

Q. I have to undergo one of those smear test things for the first time, and I am rather frightened about it. Could I take a friend along to kind of support me?

Yes, indeed. A woman who accompanies another female during a gynaecological examination is generally referred to as a chaperone.There is absolutely no reason why you shouldn't take a female friend or relative with you when you go for that Pap smear.

Incidentally, the smear is not really a very uncomfortable or distressing procedure for most women, and I do not think you should be frightened about it.

Q. It has been suggested to me that I should have my foreskin removed. I am not so sure about this. If I refuse, could that cause a problem with my health?

Well, it depends on why someone wants you to be circumcised. There is only one really clear indication for circumcision, and that is when the 'hole' in the foreskin is so tiny that only an operation will help. In such circumstances, the guy may find that whenever he tries to urinate, his foreskin puffs out like a balloon.

But my view is that the vast majority of the male population does not need to have their foreskin removed.

Q. After an intense sex session last week, my clitoris was real swollen and tender. Then it bled slightly. Is this OK, Doc?

I suspect you have had a condition called clitoral haematoma, in which a little blood collects inside the organ, because it has been rubbed too firmly.  Have a doc check you out. But the odds are that everything will heal up, and that you will be absolutely fine. Do not have sex until the doctor has examined you.

Q. am a 23-year-old man. My girlfriend lacks energy, is always sleepy and is never in the mood for sex. She never asks for sex, and she never wants to do it. I have a very high sex drive and think about it 24/7. So I want to know if she has some medical problem.

I think that is unlikely. Some people have a very high sex drive, and some a very low one. Clearly, you and your girlfriend are mismatched in that respect. However, as she is always so sleepy and tired, it would be worth her while going to a doc for a check-up.

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