Doctor's Advice: Is sex 'safer' with circumcised men?

A: Circumcision is a subject about which some folks get very emotional, particularly in the United States of America (USA). People make all sorts of statements about this operation, and sometimes their claims are most unreliable.

Those who are in favour of circumcision often state that the operation makes a man less likely to catch a sexually transmitted infection.

Personally, I take both of those statements with the proverbial pinch of salt. In any case, it would be very difficult for a woman to go through life picking only partners who were circumcised. It would be doubly difficult in Jamaica, where relatively few males have taken that operation.

Research has shown that females do not find it easy to tell whether a man is circumcised or not. One study in Europe found rather amazingly that a lot of wives did not know if their husbands were circumcised.

But in general, if a guy appears to have a foreskin (or prepuce), which is the loose skin near the end of the male organ, then he is almost certainly uncircumcised.

I am guessing that your American boyfriend has been circumcised, especially as so many males in the USA do undergo circumcision as young babies. And if he has had his foreskin removed, then that may have some bearing on his opinion that you should only choose males who have taken the operation.

Ten-day menses

Q: My menses last nine or 10 days each month. Does this matter, Doc?

A: Yes, it does. Quite apart from all the inconvenience you are having to put up with, and the cost of sanitary goods, periods which are as long as this will eventually make you anaemic.

So please see a doctor, and get her advice about how to shorten those menses.

Lump near testicle

Q: I am a guy of 17, and what is concerning me is that I think I can feel a little lump or bump right next to my testicle. My girlfriend can feel it too, so it is not imaginary. Could I take any medication to make it go away?

A: Medication will not help. With lumps anywhere in the body, it is a good idea to let a doctor take a look at them, and that is what you should do now. The doctor will feel your scrotum, and may then fix you up with an ultrasound scan.

But in fact, the odds are that this thing which can feel is nothing to worry about. Many young men have minor 'bumps' in the tubing near the testicle. Nevertheless, please seek a doctor's opinion right away.

Terrified of sex

Q: I am an 21-year-old guy, and to be honest, Doc, I am terrified of having sex. So I have never done it. I have a real bad fear that it will hurt me, or that I will not be good enough for the girl. Please advise.

A: Are you a real anxious person? Sounds rather like it. I hope you will accept what I say when I tell you that these fears are irrational. Sexual intercourse does not pain the guy at all. I do not know how you got that idea.

As to 'not being good enough' for your partner, what is the worst that could happen? You might not be able to get a firm enough erection. Or you might discharge too soon. Such events are no big deal, and they happen all the time.

However, you must bear in mind that there are genuine dangers in having sex. You may get the girl pregnant. And you might catch some STI from her.

But the things you are fretting about do not make a lot of sense. I think your should see a youth counsellor as soon as you can, and talk over these concerns with her or him.

Also, bear in mind that there is no hurry for you to start having sex.

Will I have a red child?

Q: Two days ago, I let my boyfriend have sex with me towards the end of my menses. If I am pregnant, is it true that the baby will be a 'red child'?

A: No, that is just a myth, still common in country areas. Having sex during the menses does not result in 'red children'.

Please remember that it is possible to become pregnant during the menses, though the risk is not as high as it is round about ovulation time. Ovulation time is usually halfway between the start of one period, and the start of the next.

So if you are going to go on having sex with your boyfriend, please get yourself some adequate contraception.

Not-so-perfect timing

Q: We are two university students, male and female, who have been a couple for three months now. We love each other. But what puzzles us is that we do not seem to be able to discharge at the same time. Are we abnormal?

A: Not at all. Simultaneous climax (or simultaneous orgasm) is something that many couples try for. But remarkably few of them achieve it until they are much older than you.

Indeed, I have often seen married couples in their 30s who have still not mastered the art of simultaneous orgasm. So please be patient.

Holes in condoms?

Q: A friend of mine says that the Government insists that the manufacturers put a tiny hole in one out of every 100 condoms in order to keep the birth rate up. Is this true, Doc?

A: No. This story is common in many countries. But I have been to a factory where they make condoms, and I can assure you that nobody is crazy enough to make holes in them.

Is abortion risky?

Q: My daughter, age 20, is in England, and she has just texted me to say that she is having an abortion next week. I am horrified by this! Isn't there a great risk to her life and health?

A: No. I can perfectly well understand that you are distressed, and you probably do not approve of abortion. But new research shows that if performed by an expert gynaecologist, the risk to the woman's life and health is tiny. In fact, childbirth is 30 times as dangerous to her life as having a legal abortion in a first-class hospital. Surprising, but true.

Please try to overcome your distress, and offer your daughter as much support as you can.

What is cystitis?

Q: I lost my virginity last month, and soon afterwards I got a lot of pain in passing urine. The doctor said it was cystitis. Is that some kind of STI?

A: No. Cystitis is extremely common after sex, particularly rather clumsy sex. But it is just due to germs (usually bowel germs) getting into the woman's bladder. It is not a form of STI.

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