Has the Pill killed my sex drive?

• Has the Pill killed my sex drive?

Q: Doc, has the Pill turned me off sex? I am a 21-year-old university student, and I used to be quite a sexy person. But three months ago, a medic put me on a brand of the Pill, and it has certainly been very good for my menses. But ever since then, I have found it difficult to summon up any energy to have sex. What's happening?

A: Most doctors say that the Pill does not reduce a woman's libido. But others disagree. In practice, it does seem to me that there are certain brands of the Pill which do sometimes seem to have a dampening down effect on sexual desire.

Anyway, the remedy is quite simple. Ask your doctor to switch you to a another brand. Then you will be able to see whether your interest in sexual activity returns. Please bear in mind that the new brand of the Pill may have a slightly different effect on the menses.

• Hormones in overdrive

Q: I am a guy of 18, and all I think about is girls, girls, girls! They are in my thoughts all day long, and I dream about them half the night. I am wondering whether I should get a blood test. Do you think there is something wrong with my hormones, Doc?

A: No, I don't - although I would not be surprised if your testosterone level is towards the upper end of normal. I cannot really see much point in trying to find a medical explanation for your interest in girls. However, if you are really determined, you could find a doctor who will arrange a serum testosterone for you. Naturally, this will cost you quite a bit of money.

What you don't say is whether you have a girlfriend. Or are you just chasing lots of different girls? In fact, are you having sex at all? Perhaps your best move is to consult a youth counsellor and have a few sessions discussing your feelings towards women.

• 'Blasting' away in bed

Q: Whenever I orgasm with my loving boyfriend, I suddenly 'blast out' a little squirt of fluid. Am I abnormal? Is this urine, Doc?

A: It could be urine. But it may be something else.

Quite a few females do pass a little urine during sexual activity, but that is more common in women who have had children because the supporting tissues round the bladder are likely to be weaker.

However, over the last 30 years, it has become apparent that a small minority of young women do produce a totally different liquid at the moment of discharging. This phenomenon is called female ejaculation. The liquid is thought to be similar to the secretions of a man's prostate gland. And it's often claimed that it emerges from the famous G-spot.

I cannot tell you what the fluid is in your particular case. If the liquid does not embarrass you, I feel you should ignore it. But if you are really fretting, you could take a sample to a doctor and ask for it to be tested so that you can find out whether it is urine.

• Hanging STI?

Q: I am a guy who has had half a dozen girlfriends. Now I have noticed that there is a small, dark wobbly thing projecting from my foreskin. What is this, Doc? Surely it is not a form of sexually transmitted infection, is it?

A: Without seeing it, I cannot be certain what it is. But it sounds to me like you have a little papilloma there. A papilloma is a non-malignant, wart-like growth on the genitals. It is caused from a virus, and that virus is passed on during sex.

You should see a doctor immediately and have this little projection checked out. If it is indeed a papilloma, he will be able to get rid of it quite quickly for you. But please do not have sex till he has treated you.

• Painful swelling

Q: I am a young woman who has been having a problem for some time now. About every three months, a swelling appears at the opening of my vagina, and it is very painful. I've been to a doctor and he gave me cream, but it does not work. What is the cause of this, and is it very serious?

A: I do not think it is serious, but it needs fixing. Sounds like you may have some sort of cyst (that is, a fluid-filled swelling) at the 'mouth' of the vagina.

Statistically, the likeliest diagnosis is a Bartholin's cyst. This is a swelling in one of the Bartholin's glands, which are located just inside the vulva. The glands can get infected and that makes them painful. But sometimes there is no infection, and they just keep swelling up and going down because of an intermittently blocked duct.

What you need now is an urgent gynaecological examination, and I would recommend that if at all possible, you go to a gynaecologist for that. If there is a cyst, a very small operation would cure it. Good luck!

• Stressed by Pap smear

Q: Good morning, Doc. I'm badly in need of your help. My girlfriend did her Pap smear shortly after she gave birth. That was about six weeks ago. The results recently came back, and the letter said there should be another test done because this one picked up something pre-cancerous. Doc, since she got the results she has been stressed and confused. There's not a day that she is not worried. And she has not given me any sex since she got the results slip. She claims that she freaks out every time she thinks about it. That's where the problem comes in because, of course, I have my desires, so at times I feel like cheating on her. What should I do?

A: Well, don't cheat on her. That would certainly not help your relationship.  Look, there is really no need for all this stress. Please tell your girlfriend that lots of women have slightly abnormal smears. Her result just means that cancer might develop one day. But everything may well get better on its own. That frequently happens.

All that is necessary is for her to continue to have Pap smears at the intervals suggested by the doctor. Do you know when her next smear appointment is? You should try to make sure that she goes. The doctor or nurse who does the test can advise her about having sex, but I would be surprised if they say that she must not have it.

• Coughing after sex

Q: My boyfriend said if I sit up and cough after having sex, I will not get pregnant. Is this true?

A: No, it isn't. It is just one of those old myths.

• Disappering condoms?

Q: Can a condom come off during sex and disappear inside the girl?

A: Yes, but it is always possible to get it out again. To avoid the condom slipping off, the guy should always hold on to it as he withdraws after intercourse.

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