Q Two years ago, when I was 17, I had sex just once with a boy in St Catherine, giving up my virginity. I became pregnant. Unfortunately, it turned out that the pregnancy was ectopic.

I do not really know what 'ectopic' means, but the result was that I was in a lot of pain, and had to take an operation. They told me that they had to remove my tube.

Now I have met a new guy, and I hope that eventually I could have babies with him.

What is an ectopic pregnancy? Was it the fault of that young guy in St Catherine? Was it something to do with a problem in his sperm? Or was it my fault?

Also, will I be able to get pregnant? How can I do it if my tube has been taken away?

A Sorry to hear that you had all this trouble. Incidentally, your story does show that it is very possible for a girl to become pregnant on the very first occasion she has sex!

Now an 'ectopic' pregnancy is one that happens in the wrong place. As you know, a pregnancy is supposed to occur in the womb.

But when somebody has an ectopic pregnancy, it happens outside the womb. The usual place for an ectopic to occur is in one of the two fallopian tubes.

Sadly, a baby cannot develop inside the tube. There is just no room. So the result is intense pain in the belly and internal bleeding. In nearly all cases, it is necessary to operate in order to save the woman's life.

What the surgeons do is to make a cut in the belly. Then they take away the fallopian tube which contains that ectopic pregnancy.

But there is one GOOD thing that I would like you to realise. Every woman has TWO fallopian tubes.

So although you have lost one of your tubes, there is every chance that the other one is in good working order. It should be perfectly capable of bringing eggs down from the ovary to the womb.

Therefore, you should be able to get pregnant.

Finally, let me turn to your remaining questions.

Was the ectopic all the fault of the young guy in St Catherine? No. Was it due to his sperm? No. Was it YOUR fault? No! It just happens.

There are one or two things that can make it a little more likely, such as having a sexually transmitted infection in the tubes. But that does not apply to you.

I am pretty sure that in the future, you will be able to achieve normal pregnancies, and have the babies that you want.

Q Doc, I am a guy who recently had sex with a girl while I was on a visit to Kingston. Now I find that I have pain when urinating, plus some kind of messy stuff on the inside of my pants.

What's going on?

A I am afraid that you have caught a sex infection, most likely gonorrhoea ('clap') or urethritis. Both conditions cause painful urination, plus a discharge from the penis.

See a doc immediately for tests and treatment. You will be cured. But please don't have sex till you are pronounced healthy!

Q Doc, I am 18 and lost my virginity a month ago. My boyfriend's penis is very large, and sometimes when we have sex it pains me.

But what I am concerned about is that I have never had an orgasm. Also, inside of my vagina, I can still feel part of the hymen there. It doesn't seem as if it's broken.

Does the hymen have to break before a girl can experience an orgasm?

A No. The hymen, sometimes known as 'the virgin's veil', is a little membrane which creates a thin barrier just inside the opening of the vagina. As you know, it gets broken when a girl loses her virginity.

But it has absolutely NOTHING to do with orgasms! And where climaxes are concerned, you are expecting far too much, too soon. Research has shown that many young women don't learn to discharge till they have been having sex for a year or two.

Indeed, a new survey suggests that about 20 per cent of sexually active teenage females do not yet have orgasms.

It may well be that your hymen has not yet fully broken, and that bits of it are still there. That could be the reason why you are feeling pain during intercourse.

So what I feel you should do now is to go to a doc or a clinic to check if your hymen is OK. They can also advise you about contraception and safe sex.

Q I am a 14-year-old boy, and I am really interested in girls. I have discovered that I can obtain pleasure from masturbating, which I do about once a week.

Will this harm my health, as my brother says?

A No, your brother is mistaken. It will not damage your health.

Q I have a baby girl, and she has been having loose stool.

I took her to the paediatrician, and she said it could have been caused from a virus. She did not prescribe any medication, but just told me to give her lots of fluid.

What do you think is wrong?

A I think the paediatrician is probably right. If the child had a viral infection, the correct treatment would be just lots of fluid - plus some mineral supplements to make good what she has lost.

But if the loose stool is still persisting, please take the baby back to the paediatrician and have her examined again.

Q At age 17, I am finding that I often get a real unpleasant pain in the testicles when I am sexually frustrated. I feared this might be cancer, but a doctor told me no.

So why is it happening?

A This is a NORMAL thing which happens in younger males - and a few older ones. If they get sexually aroused but do not discharge, the testicles become congested.

The result is a dull ache which can persist for hours. In America, it is known as 'the gravels'. It is NOT a disease and it cannot harm you.

Q I am a teenage girl, and I have been advised by several boys that if I just let them 'go inside' for a couple of minutes, that would not do any harm.

Are they correct, Doc?

A No, they certainly are NOT correct! This is one of the oldest 'chatlines' employed by boys. Pay them no mind.

If a guy puts his organ inside you for even a second or so, that might be enough to make you pregnant. Also, it is enough time for him to give you a sexually transmitted infection.