Doctor's Advice: Danger down under?

Q A girl in Ocho Rios got me to perform oral sex on her last week. No other sexual contact took place. Is it true that 'going down' on her could have given me gonorrhoea, as I have heard?

A Yes, that is true. Oral sex does sometimes cause transmission of gonorrhoea (the clap) and other infections. Generally, gonorrhoea germs which have been passed on in this way will create an inflammation at the back of the throat. If you have any doubts, see a doctor and ask him to examine your throat. If he thinks you might have gonorrhoea, he should take a throat swab and send it to the lab.

Q I am a 22-year-old male and since lately after having sex with a girl while using condoms, I have noticed that the right side of my organ and my foreskin were quite bruised. Why?

A Are you sure you have actually got visible bruises? That would be quite unusual, though it can occur after sex. Pain and tenderness after intercourse are quite common in young guys. Why do they occur? Simply because of friction between the shaft of the male organ and the vaginal wall. In most young women, the diameter of the vagina is quite small, especially if they have not had children. So it is quite easy for the wall of the vagina to rub too hard against the guy's organ.

An additional factor is that many young women find is difficult to relax, so the vagina does not expand much during intercourse.

I would suggest that next time you have sex with your partner, you should use one of the excellent sexual lubricants, which are available from pharmacies or online.

Q I am female aged 19. Last week, I misguidedly let a guy have sex with me during the last day of my menses. Am I right in thinking that that there cannot be any chance of getting pregnant? Also, my friend says that if I am pregnant, there would be something wrong with the baby. Is she right?

A It is possible to get pregnant on any day of the menstrual cycle. But, conception during the period itself is unusual, so you will probably be OK. With regard to your friend, what she is telling you is the old myth which says that a child who is conceived during the period will be a 'red child'. This is simply not true.

Q Last night, I caught my boyfriend looking at a lesbian video on his computer. Does this indicate that he is homosexual, or something like that?

A Not at all. It is a curious fact that a lot of heterosexual - that is, straight - guys are turned on by looking at lesbian activity between pretty girls. Experts differ on why that should be so, but there is no doubt about it. There is no reason at all to suspect that your guy might be gay.

Q I am a young male, and I have noticed that a cream-like substance keeps building up near the head of my organ. Is this serious?

A No, it is not. All guys have little glands in the skin, just below the head of the penis. These glands produce some white creamy stuff, just as you describe. Young men produce quite a lot of it, but production of it grows less as you get into your 30s or 40s. Medically, it is known as smegma.

The function of it is not known, and indeed it may have no function at tall. But what is known is that germs do flourish in it. Therefore, it is a good idea to wash it away each day.

Q I am a girl of 16, and last month, for the first time, I had sex with a guy. I do regret this. Fortunately, I am not pregnant.

But now I have heard that this boy has had something called hepatitis. Is this real bad, Doc?

And could I have caught it from having sex with him?

A Well, the word hepatitis means inflammation of the liver. It is caused from a virus. A common symptom is what folk call 'yellow eyes' - in other words, jaundice.

There are various types of hepatitis. Some are more serious than others. Some types can be sexually transmitted.

From what you say, I feel that you are probably not at great risk. Nevertheless, I think you should see a doctor and have a blood test for hepatitis. Good luck.

Q While using a public toilet last week, I accidentally touched what I think was a drop of somebody else's urine on the seat.

Could this give me AIDS?

A That is very nearly impossible. Contact with someone else's urine is most unlikely to give anyone a disease. However, if there is anything you have not told me which is making you fret, then please see a doctor for a check-up. I say this because of the fact that young people who have had an unwise sexual experience will often say that they "might have picked up something from a toilet seat".

Q I really want to get pregnant. My menses are 26 days apart, and regular. So what would be the best time to try for a baby?

A For a female such as yourself with a 26-day menstrual cycle, then the best time to try would probably be the 12th day of the cycle - in other words, 12 days after the start of the period.

You can get a more precise date by checking with a doctor or qualified nurse, or by using an ovulation kit.

Q Since I reached the age of 16, which was four years ago, I have had a clear or whitish secretion from the vagina. I am a virgin. Is this a discharge?

A Well, this sounds like the completely normal secretion which young women are supposed to produce from the glands in the vagina. So you need not fret about it.

The fact that you are a virgin makes it extremely unlikely that anything is wrong with you. I say this because of the fact that virgins scarcely ever get vaginal infections.

Young women need not worry about the secretion unless it becomes:

Brown

Blood-stained

Offensive (i.e. nasty-smelling)

Yellow

Thick, white and 'cheesy'

Associated with itching or soreness.

Q I am a guy of 19, and to be frank, Doc, I am terrified of the idea of having sex. I have heard that there is some way that you can get hurt, once the penis is inside the lady. Is this true?

A No, contrary to several myths which circulate among young men, the female's vagina cannot hurt you!

It is possible to damage the erect penis by ramming it too hard against some firm part of the female's body, like her knee. But that is real uncommon.

The amount of fear you are showing is a little irrational. If you still feel like this, consult a youth counsellor.

Email questions for Doc to saturdaylife@gleanerjm.com.