Doctor's Advice - Do I have an extra testicle?

• Do I have an extra testicle?

Q I am a guy of 21, and my fiancée has pointed out to me that I appear to have three testicles. Doc, is this possible?

A That would be very rare indeed. The probability is that you just have a lump in your scrotum next to the two testicles. Lumps in this area can be dangerous, so you must have the swelling checked out right away by a doctor. Please do not delay.

• Did I get an STI from the hand job?

Q. I am an 18-year-old guy and I don't know very much about sex. My friends say I am 'innocent'. Well, Doc. Last week, I was doing some outdoor work for an older lady in Mandeville who has a large garden. After I finished, she invited me into the house for a glass of juice. Before I knew what was happening, she kissed me repeatedly. And then she put her hand on my private parts and gave me what I have been told is called a hand job. She carried on doing this, and saying sexy things to me, until I orgasmed. When I left, she told me that we would not be meeting again. But Doctor, I keep wondering if there is a chance that what she did to me could give me a sexually transmitted infection (STI)?

A.  For your own protection, I think it would be a good idea if you learned a bit more about sex and its risks. You seem to be a student at a college. If so, do they have a library where you could find some straightforward textbooks about reproduction, STIs, and so on?

Anyway, an older lady has kissed you and then stroked your organ till you climaxed. As you say, this is generally known as a hand job. Happily, I can reassure you that the chances against this particular activity giving you an STI are at least a million to one. In other words, you do not have an STI. I don't know whether this lady is married or in a regular relationship, but I feel that she was probably wise in telling you that the two of you would not be meeting again. I suggest that you avoid doing any more work in her garden.

• How quickly does the Pill start working?

Q.  Doc, I am going to go on the Pill next Sunday. My loving boyfriend wants to have sex with me the next day when he gets back to Jamaica. Would that be safe?

A The modern way of starting on the Pill is to take the first tablet of your first pack on the first day of your menses. If you do that, you will be protected from pregnancy immediately. You say that you will be starting the Pill on Sunday. I don't know why you are doing that. If Sunday is not the first day of your menses, then you will not have immediate protection.

There is another way of starting the Pill, and it is often known as 'the older method'. It involves taking your first tablet on the fifth day of your cycle - in other words, five days after the start of a period. But if you use that method, you will not be protected till you have taken seven Pills.

• Should I give in?

Q My boyfriend and I have been seeing each other for three months. He says he loves me. Sex with him is fairly good. But now he is asking me if I will let him have anal sex with him. I have told him no several times. But he just persists in asking me. Last week, he told me that everybody does it. Is this really true, Doc?

A. No, it isn't. These days, many young guys have the idea that rectal sex is a perfectly normal and usual thing. Often, they have got this notion from watching foolish pornographic videos. In these productions, again and again what happens is that after having ordinary sex, the 'heroine' rolls over and offers the 'hero' her bottom.

But in the real world, rectal sex is not all that common, mainly because it generally hurts the female a lot! Also, it carries considerable risk of infection. So tell your boyfriend no way. And if he persists with his demands, I suggest you consider finding another guy.

• Timing menses

Q How far apart should the menses be, Doc? Mine never seem to come on the same day of the month.

A Well, they wouldn't because the calendar months are of different lengths. Many people believe that periods should arrive every 28 days. In fact, 26 or 27 is more common. But anything between 24 and 31 days is OK. Anyone whose menstrual cycle is outside those limits should check with a doctor.

• Masturbation fears

Q. I am male, age 20. For several years now I have masturbated around twice for the week. My friend says that this will damage my body and take away the strength.

A. No, he is totally wrong. Research shows that at your age, this frequency is about average.There is no way that you could have done any harm to your health or strength. So quit fretting.

• Sex suddenly painful

Q. I have suddenly started to feel a deep pain during intercourse, way up at the top of my vagina.I used to be OK during sex and enjoyed it a lot, so what is going wrong, Doc?

A. Sex used to be pleasant for you, but now it is painful. So something must have changed. The likeliest thing is that you have developed some problem in your cervix (the neck of the womb) or in your ovaries. So the wise course now is to consult a doctor who can look inside your vagina and inspect your cervix. Also, by examining with his or her fingers, he or she can check out your ovaries and womb. See what the doctor says.

• Why am I having chest pains?

Q. I am 21 and sometimes I get a sharp pain in the chest. I went to a cardiologist and he said I was OK. But I still get the pain. So I need your advice about this matter of the heart.

A. Large numbers of young people get pains in their chest and think it is heart trouble. You have been checked out by a heart specialist, and he said you were OK. So all you need do is to go back to him for the yearly check-ups that I understand he advised.

• Will I lose my baby again?

Q. I had a miscarriage last year, and my boyfriend has been trying since then to get me pregnant. Is there a possibility that a miscarriage will not happen again?

A Yes: the probability is that you will not have another miscarriage. But please remember that the incidence of miscarriage is far higher than many people realise. Indeed, about one in every five pregnancies ends that way. So the fact that you have had a miscarriage is not surprising. I am sure that you will be able to conceive and have a healthy baby. Good luck!

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