DOCTOR'S ADVICE - My first go ... could I be pregnant?

• My first go ... could I be pregnant?

Q. Doctor, I am 18, female, and on Wednesday night, I finally decided to let a guy have sex with me, but it was on the strict understanding that he would be very careful. I was a virgin till then. Well, we started, and I was a little surprised that I did not find it too interesting, but just plain uncomfortable! But he thought it was great, and he got more and more excited. After a couple of minutes, I realised that he was on the brink of having an orgasm. So I told him he must pull out, and he did. I think it must have been only just in time, Doc, because he covered the front of my thigh with his sex fluid. He said it was great, but I could not see what all the fuss was about! However, I am now fretting because I have realised that I could be pregnant. On that night, I did attempt to wipe the liquid downwards and away from my vagina. So do you think that I could have got pregnant? Is that likely, Doc?

A: You don't state what time of your monthly cycle this was. But I would say that the odds are that you are going to be OK. Nevertheless, the two of you took quite a risk.

Young couples do often rely on the guy pulling out at the very last moment and ejaculating on the girl's thigh or belly, but there are two big dangers here:

1. The young man may not quite manage to pull out fast enough, so some sperm might get deposited in the vagina. The problem is that there is a strong male instinct to stay in until the very last second.

2. When the seminal fluid is deposited on the young woman's skin, there is just a chance that sperm might manage to swim into her vagina. Fortunately, this does not happen very often. You did the right thing by wiping the fluid away from the area of your vulva.

Summing up, the odds are that your menses will arrive on time, but if you decide to have sex in the future, please do not use the pulling out or withdrawal method, also known as coitus interruptus. Instead, please employ a reliable method like the Pill, or use a condom.

• STIs and blow jobs

Q. I wish to remain a virgin for some years, but I have given several boys oral sex, which they seem to like a lot. Am I right in believing that I cannot catch a sexually transmitted infection (STI) in this way?

A: No, I am afraid you are wrong. Providing oral sex for a guy can give a girl various forms of STIs, including gonorrhoea ('the clap'), chlamydia, herpes, and the Human Papilloma Virus, so I think you would be wise to abandon this form of petting.

• No climax!

Q. I am 22, and I have had sex with four girls. Much to my surprise, none of them climaxed while I was having intercourse with them. Am I doing something wrong, Doc?

A: Like many young men, you have not realised one simple fact. It is this: Women do not usually orgasm as a result of intercourse alone. As a rule, they require a good deal of additional stimulation of the clitoris. Intercourse does not really provide that.

So there was nothing wrong with the four ladies you have bedded. My advice: Try and establish a stable relationship with a nice young woman. When matters eventually progress to sex, you should ask her what she would like you to do to her clitoris in order to promote orgasm.

• Relieving my frustration

Q. I am female, and at the moment, I do not have a boyfriend. My last one suddenly left me and married someone else. Doctor, I have to confess that because of my frustration, I masturbate to orgasm around once per month. Two questions: First, will this harm my health? Second, will it distort the appearance of my genitalia as I have heard?

A: Sorry to hear your boyfriend dumped you, but masturbation will not harm your health, nor will it alter the appearance of your genitals. So you can quit fretting.

• Painful orgasm

Q. I am a guy of 21, and recently, I have found that whenever I orgasm, I get quite a severe pain. This happens whether I do it with my girlfriend or by myself. Why is that, please?

A: Pain on ejaculation affects a fairly small number of young males. The common causes are problems (such as inflammation) in the testicles or the prostate gland.  Rarely, this type of pain can occur when a guy is on an anti-depressant drug or some other medication.

I am sorry to hear about your problem, but it is essential that you go and see an experienced doctor who will examine your penis, testicles, and prostate. The prostate examination involves putting a gloved finger up your rectum. If the doctor finds inflammation, he will almost certainly be able to give you some medication to get rid of it. By the way, when you go to see him, please take a specimen of your urine with you.

• DNA test incorrect?

Q. An American girl who visited Jamaica on holiday last Christmas is claiming that I am the father of her recently born baby. I find that hard to accept because I only had sex with her quite briefly, and I know that another guy, who is from St Catherine, also went to bed with her while she was here. But there have been DNA tests, and she says they show that the baby is mine. Doctor, could the tests possibly be wrong?

A: When a DNA test is performed by a reputable lab, the chances of it being wrong are less than one in a million. So it is virtually certain that you are indeed the babyfather. However, you should ask to see the actual lab reports rather than just rely on the young lady's word.  Incidentally, your idea that you are unlikely to be the father because you "only had sex with her quite briefly" is a little naïve. Even having intercourse with a woman for 10 seconds can get her pregnant.

• Yeast infection again

Q. Doctor, is there any reason why I keep getting yeast infections in the vagina? I douche regularly, but that does not seem to stop them.

A: Douching is a waste of time. Yeast infections are generally caused from a fungus called Candida albicans or 'thrush'. It loves warmth and moisture, which is why it flourishes in women's vaginas. Vast numbers of young women get it, especially in the years just after they lose their virginity. Fortunately, it tends to respond well to drugs such as clotrimazole.

But if infections keep recurring, then you should ask a doctor to help you find out why.  A common reason for recurrent thrush is diabetes (sugar). Another is wearing underclothes that are too hot and too tight, thus creating the warm conditions that the fungus likes. Also, females are often re-infected by a male sex partner who is carrying the fungus in the skin folds of his organ.

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