Doctor's Advice - Should 17-y-o use Viagra?

• Should 17-y-o use Viagra?

Q: I am 17. Would a doctor be willing to give me Viagra to improve my erections? They have not been too good recently.

A: It is real unlikely that a doctor would be willing to prescribe Viagra for a guy as young as 17. Viagra is mainly employed by men who are over 50, who have 'lost their nature'.

I have occasionally prescribed it for guys in their 20s or 30s who have developed erectile dysfunction because of some severe illness. But the idea of issuing it to a youth of 17 seems a little strange to me.

If you are genuinely having trouble with your erections, then please see a doctor and have a check-up, including an examination of the genitals. You should take a specimen of urine with you so that he can test it for sugar, just in case you have diabetes.

• Pregnant virgin?

Q: Hello, Doc. I am real worried that I might be pregnant by my boyfriend. We have never had full sexual intercourse, and I am a virgin and want to remain that way. But a week ago, we were going in for what I guess they call heavy petting. After about two-three minutes, he had a climax. Next, we started kissing again and he put his fingers inside me. I then orgasmed. Afterwards, we were sharing a cigarette, and he started looking a little anxious. I asked him why. And he said that maybe there might have been some sperm on his finger before he inserted it. Doctor, we are really fretting now. Do you think he has made me pregnant?

A: Although it is technically possible to become pregnant in this way, in practice it is most unusual. I do not think I have ever seen a teenager who conceived as a result of petting. Nevertheless, young women should take great care NOT to let seminal fluid get anywhere near the vagina.

Unfortunately, it is now much too late for you to take the emergency contraceptive. So you will just have to wait, and see if you menses arrive. My guess is that they will. I do not know how old you and your boyfriend are, but I think you should try and have a chat with a counsellor or an older, experienced person about sex and its risks.

Furthermore, I am NOT at all happy about the fact that the two of you are smoking! Smoking is a foolish and addictive habit. It is particularly harmful for girls. Please try to give it up right away.

• I want a bigger organ

Q: Doc, I am a guy of 21. Would taking male hormones boost the size of my organ?

A: No. This would be a complete waste of time and money. It would also expose you to the risk of side effects.

• What's causing the migraine?

Q: I went on the Pill four months ago, and since then I have been having migraine headaches for the first time in my life. What must I do?

A: Sounds like you may be one of the small minority of women who should not take the Pill. See a doctor at once, and ask her about a next method of contraception.

• Is circumcision best?

Q: I am a 21-year-old man, and I have a problem with my foreskin. It does not retract when I am erect. So I am unable to fully enjoy sex. I have done checks on the Internet, and see that this condition is called phimosis. My question is this. Is circumcision my best option to treat this condition?

A: Well, as you say, this is called phimosis, and it is real common. There is just a chance that you could defeat it by repeatedly stretching the foreskin and also using an ointment called hydrocortisone.

You need a doctor's prescription to get that, so you should go and see a doctor now, and let him look at your penis. However, if the tightness is real bad, it's best to have some form of surgery on the foreskin. The doctor would give you a paper to take to a urologist, who is a surgeon dealing with this region of the body.

• Menses mystery

Q: Hi, Doc. I'm 16, and have not seen my menses from last year October. I tend to urinate frequently, and sometimes when I pass urine I feel a slight pain right afterwards. I took a pregnancy test, and the result came back negative. What's wrong with me?

A: When a teenage girl's periods disappear, there are several possible causes. They include:

• Pregnancy - which you have more or less ruled out by doing a test.
  
• Anaemia - which is extremely common in young women.
  
• Emotional problems - and I note that your email suggests that you feel you may have some problems with emotional balance.

So you need to see a doctor, and sort out what the cause is. Your urinary symptoms have nothing to do with your lack of periods. But it could be that you have a urinary tract infection, so you should take a specimen along with you to the doc so that she can test it.

• Why can't he sleep?

Q: I am 23, and since I was 14 I have had real trouble trying to fall asleep at night. I have noticed that when I am occupied during the day, I fall asleep quite easily. But when I am NOT working, I lie awake for hours and hours, suffering from insomnia. This leaves me feeling fatigued all day. By 10 p.m., I'm tired - but not tired enough to go to sleep. I lie awake till 3 in the morning, so the cycle continues. I have taken Tylenol, but that is not helping me. Should I take a bigger dose?

A: First, like a lot people you have the idea that Tylenol is something intended to help people sleep. It isn't. It is just a painkiller. Tylenol is exactly the same as the analgesic (painkilling) drug which is known in various parts of the Caribbean as:

• Panadol;
  
• paracetamol;
  
• acetaminophen.

So unless you are being kept awake by PAIN, then taking Tylenol at night to try and make yourself go to sleep is not a great idea. However, there is also a 'compound' brand called 'Tylenol PM', to which a dose of an antihistamine drug has been added. Antihistamines have mild sedative properties, and can promote sleepiness. So maybe that is what you have been taking. But it clearly isn't 'doing the trick'.

Now, WHY are you having such difficulty in sleeping? I can only tell you that when young people have intense difficulty with insomnia, the most common reason is that they are badly DEPRESSED! The depression can either make them unable to get to sleep for hours or it can keep waking them up at 3 or 4 in the morning.

Therefore, I recommend that you see a doctor right away and talk things over with him. He can help you by determining whether you are depressed. If so, he can prescribe the correct medication which you need. I wish you good luck.

Email questions to Doc at saturdaylife@gleanerjm.com and read more in the Outlook Magazine tomorrow.