Doctor's Advice: How do I know I'm not sterile?

Q Doc, is there any way in which a young guy like me can know whether he is fertile or not? I seem to be obsessed with the idea that maybe I won't be able to become a father.

A friend of mine was told recently that he was sterile, and I am afraid that the same thing might happen to me. This is real worrying, Doctor.

So far, I have never had sex with anybody, though I would like to. I seem to be highly-sexed, because I often awake with a strong erection in the mornings. I masturbate two to three times for the week, and I hope that will not affect my fertility. Also, I have frequent wet dreams.

So what do you think, Doc? Could I be sterile? And if I consulted our local doctor, could he do a test to determine if I am fertile or not?

A Quite a few young guys are concerned about whether they might be sterile. But in fact, infertility is uncommon in your age group.

I do not know why your friend has been told that he is sterile, and I suggest that he double-checks on this, just in case the information he has been given is wrong.

As it relates to yourself, you do not say that you have had any disease that might have made you sterile. Such conditions include gonorrhoea ('the clap') and mumps.

As you probably know, mumps is a childhood infection that causes inflammation in the saliva glands located in the cheek. Unfortunately, sometimes it spreads to the testicles, and if that happens it is very painful, and the guy can wind up infertile.

Turning to your sex life, sounds like you are in good shape. You say that you have two to three masturbatory orgasms a week, plus some night-time emissions, which is the medical name for wet dreams. That is pretty normal for a guy of your age.

Masturbation will certainly not make you infertile, so you do not have to fret about that.

I am not clear why you are so worried about your fertility, but the odds are that everything is perfectly OK. You say that you have an obsession about it, and maybe this has happened, because you heard about your friend's problems.

Finally, you enquire about tests for sterility. There is a test called the 'sperm count,' in which experts at the lab use a microscope to look at a sample of a guy's sex fluid.

It's just possible that your local doctor could arrange this test for you, but it would cost you a lot! Generally, it is only done when a couple has been trying for a baby for some time, but have not succeeded.

Summing up, I think you should quit fretting about this idea that you are sterile.

You could almost certainly become a babyfather.

Q Good day. I am a female university student, and last term I let myself be seduced by an older woman. This was on one occasion only.

To be frank, doctor, I quite enjoyed it at the time. It made me orgasm several times. But I have decided that lesbian activity is not for me. In fact, I have my eye on a male student who I think would make an excellent boyfriend!

But I am little worried about the question of sexually transmitted infections (STI), Doc. Could my one-night stand with the older woman have given me any kind of STI ?

A STIs can be transmitted by woman-to-woman activity. But in fact, the rate of infection among lesbians is low. This is probably because of the relatively gentle and non-penetrative nature of most lesbian sexual practices.

However, it cannot be denied that you could possibly have caught an STI that night, particularly if the older lady is promiscuous. The likeliest infection would be chlamydia.

So it might be a good idea to ask a doctor to fix you up with a chlamydia test.

Q I am a male teenager, and I have quite strong sexual urges. But so far, I have remained a virgin.

Some of my friends tell me that if I don't have sex with a girl soon, I will get sick. Is this true, Doc?

A No, it is just foolishness. Quite a few young men believe that they have to have sex in order to remain healthy and fit, but that is not true at all. In fact, a lot of the health troubles, which teenagers experience are actually caused from having sex! I am talking about STIs, genital warts and of course pregnancy.

Frankly, I would advise you to stay a virgin as long as you reasonably can. No one needs to rush into having sex.

Q I get very bad, heavy menses, Doc. A friend has advised me to try having one of those 'coil' things. Would that help my periods?

A No, it wouldn't. The ordinary coil, also known as the Intra-Uterine Device or IUD, does not help anybody's menstrual problems. In fact, it usually makes them worse.

However, there is a 'hormone-loaded' coil, which does make the periods lighter. It is called Mirena, or the Intra-Uterine System. I feel you should look into the possibility of trying this.

But please bear in mind that it may take around six months before Mirena has a really good effect on the menses. If you need a more immediate effect, you could try the Pill.

Q I am a guy who suffers slightly from premature ejaculation (PE). But I have found that if I have one climax in the early part of the evening, my second one takes much longer. And in fact, I can then last as long as I like.

Is that normal, Doc?

A Well, a lot of guys who have mild PE have discovered, like you, that having an orgasm earlier in the day will tend to slow them down for the second climax.

If you and your partner are happy with managing things this way, then that's OK. But in order to find out how to lengthen the time you can last, I suggest you check out one of the medical sites on the Internet, which deal with premature ejaculation.

Warning: pay no mind to the many misleading websites, which try to sell you expensive devices and medications, which are supposed to cure PE. It is most unlikely that these purchases would help you.

Q After a very long session of sex with my new boyfriend last night, one of my labia has become very enlarged and sore. Help me, Doc!

A Do not fret. This swelling is just due to excessive friction, and it should soon go down. If everything hasn't returned to normal in a week, ask a doctor to check out your labia.

Also, please do not have sex until the swelling has completely gone.

Q If my girlfriend takes the Pill, will it affect me?

A No, it will not. So please quit fretting.

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