Q I am female, age 32, and recently I have started getting pain during intercourse.
This surprises me because, until recently, my sex life has been very good.
And the odd thing about this pain is that it only occurs when we make love in certain positions. It does not happen if I am lying flat on my back. But if my guy has sex with me from behind, I get this deep ache whenever he thrusts into me.
It is particularly bad if we do it with me kneeling. My menses are regular, doc, except that I have had some period pain recently - for the first time in my life.
I have no vaginal discharge, or any fever. And I do not think it can be VD, because both of us are completely faithful to each other.
A That is good to hear. When a woman suddenly gets menstrual pain for the first time in her 30s, that makes my thoughts turn to a condition called 'endometriosis'.
Endometriosis is real common. It is a disorder in which little pieces of womb lining appear in the wrong part of the body - such as in the ovaries or tubes. These little bits of endometriosis try to bleed once a month. But because of where they are, they cannot do so. The result is pain.
Also, these little pieces of sensitive tissue are often 'hit' by the man's penis during sex. That hurts too. Very often, they get hit in certain sex positions, but not in others.
Obviously, I cannot say for certain that you have this all-too-common condition. There are other possibilities.
But clearly, what you must do now is to go to a doctor who is experienced in gynaecology and tell your story. The doc will examine you, and tell you whether you have endometriosis, or some other condition.
If the diagnosis is endometriosis, then you will probably be treated with tablets to begin with. If these are not effective enough, then there is a good chance that you can be made much, much better through taking an operation. Good luck.
Q Doc, I am male, age 39, and I have had a real bad pain in my back. A doc told me that it is my 'S.I. joint'. But I do not know what that is.
A nurse who is a friend of mine told me that 'S. I.' means 'sexual intercourse'.
So, is this back pain caused from sex?
A No. In this case, the initials 'S.I.' stand for 'sacro-iliac.' The sacro-iliac joint lies in the lower part of the back, near the top of the buttock. It is a place where two large bones meet.
Very often, this joint gets a nasty 'jolt' - especially when a person bends over too quickly. The result is severe pain which usually goes on for some days, or even weeks.
But it nearly always gets better eventually. Take your doctor's advice about treatment - and please exercise great care when bending over or twisting the spine.
Q I am a guy of 34, and I am hoping to get married soon. The only problem is that in the last year or two I have found that my penis bends very sharply to the left when it is erect.
I have not told my fiancée about this, as we have not had sex yet.
However, I did go to a doctor when I was in Miami for a couple of weeks, and he told me where I had something called 'Peyronie's disease'. He gave me some tablets, but they did not work.
A I am sorry to hear that. It is likely that the U S doctor was right. A severe bend in the penis is often caused by the condition called Peyronie's disease. What happens is that a hard patch of tissue develops on one side of the organ, and pulls it out of shape.
Frankly, pills are not much good in cases of Peyronie's disorder. You probably need to take an operation, which would remove the hard patch of tissue and straighten up the penis.
What you should do now is get yourself to the office of a urological surgeon (a urologist), who will examine the organ and tell you whether an operation is possible.
Meantime, in fairness to your fiancée, I think you should tell her what is going on.
Q Doc, for many years I have had a cough that bothers me every few months. When it starts I have to cough all night. I get up next morning feeling sore and tired.
I have never mentioned the cough to my doctor, because by the time I visit him I forget about it. I do not smoke, or live with someone who does.
What could be the cause?
A The fact that you do not smoke is good, because it makes it less likely that there is a serious cause of this cough.
Next time you have this cough, please go to the doc that day, if possible. The doc will sound your chest and examine your throat. It is quite likely that there is a type of mucus, known as catarrh, which is dripping down the back of your throat and making you cough. But as I have not examined you, I cannot be sure.
If the doc is in any doubt, you will be asked to have a chest X-ray done. I am sure that the doc will be able to reach an accurate diagnosis, and then help you.
Q I am a guy of 39, and I am in a new sexual relationship. Unfortunately, on the first couple of nights that we went to bed together I could not 'make it'.
My new partner is a nurse, and is very understanding. She told me where the problem might be that I lost my wife five years ago, in a drive-by shooting.
Is this possible, doc?
A Absolutely. I have often seen cases in which a man whose wife has passed away is unable to have sex for a considerable time - because he cannot get an erection.
I really do not think that you have lost your nature permanently. The odds are that your potency will return in a few weeks or months, as your relationship with this lady deepens - and as you regain your confidence.
It would be helpful for the two of you to have a few sessions with a counsellor who is experienced in sexual matters. You should also have your urine tested, just on the off chance that you might have diabetes. Good luck.
QI am female and in my late 30s. I am going to get married at the end of the year.
But I have a secret which I have not told my guy. When I was around 20, I let an older man have 'rectal sex' with me on about five occasions. It was painful, and I hated it.
This person was rich, and gave me money. He is now dead.
My question is: did this damage my body?
A Having rectal (anal) sex five times might just possibly have made your anus a little loose, but that is all. I do not think you need tell your fiancé about it, But if you have any concerns about HIV, you should get yourself a blood test.
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