Doctor's Advice - Trying to get pregnant for 3 years

My boyfriend and I have been trying to get pregnant for three years now. When I was 17, I contracted the sexually transmitted infection (STI) called 'gonorrhoea'. I was given some medication, but did not take it. When we had difficulty in conceiving, I did an HSG exam, and it showed that my tubes weren't blocked. My boyfriend then did a sperm test, and the results revealed that his sperm count was low. Could the STI still be in my body, or is the infertility my boyfriend's fault?

A Well, fault is not the right word to use where infertility is concerned. It is never anyone's fault. It is just something that happens.

As it relates to you, it is a pity that you caught that STI when you were 17. It is an even greater pity that you apparently did not take the antibiotics that would certainly have cured it.

It's an unfortunate truth that gonorrhoea (often known as the clap) very frequently makes people sterile. In women, it often does this by blocking the Fallopian tubes, but it can also harm other organs like the ovaries.

You recently had the good sense to have a hystero-salpingogram (HSG) done. This test seems to have demonstrated that your tubes aren't blocked, so that is excellent news. However, the untreated gonorrhoea may well have affected other parts of your body.

So I feel that for the sake of your health, and also your fertility, you should now have some tests done to find out if there are still gonorrhoea germs inside you. These would be what are called bacteriological tests. In other words, the doctor would take samples from you and send them to the bacteriology lab to see if any germs can be grown from them.

If it turns out that you do still have gonorrhoea, then you could be given a course of the correct antibiotic so as to wipe out those bugs from your body. Indeed, some doctors would feel that whatever the results of the tests, it might be wise for you to have a course of antibiotics, in order to make absolutely sure that you are 'clean'.

Now, let us turn to the question of your boyfriend. You say that he has been diagnosed as having a low sperm count. On the bright side, this suggests that he has at least some sperm in his sex fluid. Many guys have none.

If you feel like emailing me again to let me know exactly what his sperm count was, I could give you better advice about what his chances of becoming a father really are.

One thing that worries me is this. As you had untreated gonorrhoea, there has to be a chance that you have given it to him. That could easily have affected his fertility. So really, he, too, should have tests for that STI.

Clearly, it's time to do some testing. Apart from that, the only other thing you should do at the moment is to find out exactly when you ovulate. You and your guy should try and have sex several times around that date.

I do wish you both well. Please let me know how you get on.

Small problem thatneeds to be addressed

Don't laugh at me, Doctor, but I have a very small penis. My girlfriend does not mind this, but the problem is that I simply cannot use a condom. When I put one on, it is far, far too big for me. To be frank with you, I am only four inches long when erect. What can I do?

A Smaller condoms are available these days, though I have not seen any on sale in shops. However, it is possible to buy them online.

For a couple of years now, European manufacturers have been making them in lengths ranging down to 3.15 inches (80 centimetres). You can find out more from a website which is called: www.theyfit.co.uk.

Stabbing pain in my belly

Half-way between my periods, I get a stabbing pain in the lower part of my belly. I feel about a dozen stabs, and then it goes away. Sometimes it is on the right, and sometimes it is on the left. I am 19, and my menses are regular, every 28 days. Is this pain anything to fret about, Doc?

A I do not think so. What you are describing sounds like something called (in German) Mittelschmerz, which just means middle pain. It's extremely common, and some authorities believe that one in five women experience it sometimes.

It is just a pain coming from one of the ovaries at the time of egg-release, that is, ovulation. It is harmless, and in fact, it can give you a good indication of the date on which you ovulate. This might be useful when you want to become pregnant.

You can find out more about it by Googling the word Mittelschmerz. I don't think you need to see a doctor unless the pain gets bad.

Two girls pregnant and dont want a third

I am a guy of 20. Unfortunately, I have already got two girls pregnant, and I do not want to do it again. My uncle has told me that there is a special device which contains a tiny balloon which a guy can put inside his penis. Apparently, the idea is that at the moment of discharge, the balloon blows up and keeps the sperm inside it. Where could I get one?

A Unfortunately, you can't. There was such a contraceptive device, but it did not work very well. And there were considerable risks involved in inserting such a thing inside the penis. So it is no longer available.

Clearly, it would be a bad idea for you to continue getting girls pregnant. I would suggest that you be much more careful about your sex life and avoid playing the field.

You are probably a highly sexed guy, so there would be something to be said for having a packet of condoms in your pocket at all times. And maybe you should only go with a girl if you are sure that she is on the Pill or the Mini-Pill, or using some other good form of contraception.

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

Q I have had sex with a boy only once, and I immediately got cystitis. Is this a sexually transmitted infection, Doc?

A No, it is not considered an STI. But it is frequently provoked by sex, particularly in young women. Virgins rarely get it.

Q I am very attracted to a beautiful girl who is my second cousin. If I had sex with her, would that be illegal?

And would it be dangerous, health-wise, Doc?

A Let's be absolutely clear: a second cousin is someone who is the child of your parent's cousin. In other words, it is someone with whom you share a great-grandparent.

Under Jamaican law, sex with your second cousin is not illegal. However, medically speaking it isn't a good idea.

The reason for this is quite simple. You are fairly closely related to this girl, so if you had a baby with her, there is a higher-than-usual chance that the child would be abnormal.