Dear doc:Can I test my man for Infidelity?

Doc, I suspect that when my husband makes one of his frequent business trips to Florida he is cheating on me with some American girl.   Is there some medical way in which I could check his body when he returns to see if he has been unfaithful?

Alas, no. I am afraid that there isn't a readily available test to detect whether a man has been with a woman. There are special lab tests which are carried out by forensic scientists to see if there are any traces of vaginal secretions on a man's organ, but there's no way that a member of the public could get access to these procedures.

If you are suspicious of this, I guess that things must be pretty bad between the two of you. So I think you should tell him the famous words: 'Honey, we have to talk.'

Then you should sit down with him, where you won't be interrupted, and spend a good hour or so discussing what has been going on. He may or may not be truthful with you. And if you have any doubts about his veracity, then I think you should ask him to come to a marriage guidance counsellor with you.

Doctor, I have high blood pressure and I'm on Norvasc. Unfortunately, I am not getting a good erection, so I want to stop taking it. Can I just stop? Or maybe reduce the dosage to once or twice monthly?

It is not wise to suddenly stop using 'pressure' drugs. And taking them just 'once or twice monthly' would be no good. They wouldn't work properly like that.

It is a fact that many drugs for high blood pressure can interfere with your sex life. When that happens, it is best to switch to another brand. There are a lot of options.

As it relates to your present medication, Norvasc is a widely used and very effective drug for lowering blood pressure. It is also known as amlodipine. Its most common side effect is swelling of the ankles.

It is not a frequent cause of erection failure, but in about two per cent of men and women it could be a cause of sexual problems.

My best advice to you is to see your doctor and ask her to switch you to another type of tablet and see what happens.

Doc, I have been having frequent itching round my vaginal area. I have been to the doctor on numerous occasions and received treatments, but the itching recurs after a period of time. I have also tried sitz baths. They stop it for a while, but then I start itching again. Please, I would like you to tell me what herbal remedies might help control this irritation.

Sorry to hear about your problems. My clinical experience has been that herbal and natural remedies are not all that effective in curing vaginal itching.

However, you could try 'live yoghurt', which some women swear by. You apply it three times a day, both externally and internally, for a week.

But, to me, it seems like the big question is- what is actually wrong with you?

When a woman has intense and recurrent itching, then statistically the likely diagnosis is thrush - widely known in Jamaica as 'yeast'. This is caused from a fungus called 'Candida albicans'. It is a microorganism which loves warmth and moisture.

Ideally, your doctor would do some tests to check that the problem really is thrush. If so, then it can usually be successfully zapped by a medication like Canesten (clotrimazole).

That is probably what you have been given in the past.

But in your case, the itching is reduced, but then returns.

When that happens, the likely reasons are:

The woman is being reinfected by her partner. If this is the case, then he too needs treatment with Canesten cream.

The woman has unsuspected diabetes; so you should get yourself tested.

She is doing something like wearing thick, synthetic-material underwear, which increases the temperature around the genitals and makes it easy for the fungi to thrive. So it's a good idea to get thin cotton underwear.

Good luck with defeating this. My final tip is to take frequent cool showers. Yeasts love heat and they do not like cold water.

I am having some problems with sex. At my age (56), do you think my testosterone level is low?

Men have a very slow decline in testosterone levels from about the age of 40. But there is still a great deal of it in the bloodstream at age 70 or 80!

So I am doubtful that you have any significant decline at the age of 56. Nevertheless, as you are having problems in bed, you could ask a doctor to order a blood test for you to find out exactly what your testosterone level is.

I am a woman who doesn't know much about sex. But I recently got married, and I have realised that I only orgasm if my husband puts something against my clitoris. Am I abnormal?

No. You are normal. It used to be said, particularly by American doctors, that there were two types of orgasms - vaginal and clitoral. Indeed, the famous Dr Freud of Vienna claimed that clitoral orgasms were 'immature' and that vaginal ones were the only 'mature' kinds.

Nowadays, that is thought to be completely wrong. Doctors believe that most orgasms arise from the clitoris, and not from anywhere else. So you are ok.

Ever since my wife became pregnant, which was around three months ago, I am unable to have sex with her. I would like to know why I am like that, Doc.

Well, a small number of men grow up with the idea that motherhood and sex are somehow incompatible. These feelings are thought to be connected with the way in which they regarded their own mothers, as non-sexual beings.

If you really want to get rid of these thoughts and beliefs, you would have to do some type of psychotherapy. But the most important thing now is to talk to your wife about how you feel and about how she feels!

Does she mind that you are not trying to have sex with her? If so, then she may be getting pretty frustrated. I suggest that you talk to her about whether she would like you to give her petting and cuddling. That would at least relieve her sexual and romantic frustrations.

I am tired of taking the Pill and I have heard that there is something else called a diaphragm. But is it any good, Doc?

Yes, it's a pretty good method of contraception, provided you can get it into exactly the right place. The idea is that, just before sex, you put it into your vagina so that it covers up your cervix. Ask a doc for further details.