Doctor's Advice: Help! My genitals look abnormal!

Q. Doc, I am a female student age 19. I am terribly worried about the appearance of my genitals. I have studied biology, and I know what they should look like, but to me, my labia seem seriously ragged and irregular. I am sure there is something wrong with them that is very unpleasant. I wonder if it is because I masturbated a few times when I was around 17.

Also, I have looked at a few 'blue videos' with my friends, and I can see that the girls in these movies look nothing like me! They seem so neat and tidy around the vagina where I am so ragged and loose.

Furthermore, I have noticed that one of my labia is at least an inch longer than the other.

Please help me. I am still a virgin. In fact, I am sure that no man would ever want me because I look so odd.

A. Please try to be calm. Yours is a common problem these days. Large numbers of young women have seen 'blue' films or have looked at porn magazines and have seen that all the actresses and models seem very neat in the area of the vulva, which is the opening of the vagina.

But this is all foolishness! A few years ago, some guys who controlled the porn industry in America decided that it would be best if women looked 'regular', so they started hiring only girls who had incredibly neat vulvas.

As it relates to photoshoots and porn magazines, they began air-brushing all the pictures so that the women appeared to have tiny and very symmetrical labia majora (outer lips), preferably with tiny inner lips (labia minora). In fact, I believe that one of the USA's biggest publishers of pin-up magazines will not allow the publication of photos which show the labia minora.This is quite crazy because in the real world, women's genitals have all sorts of different appearances, just as people's faces do. Many females have long outer lips. Very often, one of those outer lips projects considerably further than the other one. And quite frequently, the inner lips poke out quite visibly from between the outer ones.

This mad fashion has had two important results:

1. Many young men have got the wrong impression about what women's sex organs are supposed to look like;

2. Many young females - like you - have got the notion that they are abnormal.

Now, I am not disrespecting your viewpoint that your vulva is wrongly shaped. It is always possible that you are right, although frankly, I rather doubt it.

Clearly, what you should do now is to go and see a doctor who is experienced in these matters. The doctor will examine you and then tell you whether there really is anything wrong with your vulva.

If there is, then I assure you that something can be done about it. These days, it is fairly simple for an expert gynaecologist to skilfully trim any excess tissue away from the labia. However, the operation is not without pain, so I advise you to think carefully before you decide to do it. Good luck!

Incidentally, the appearance of your labia has nothing to do with masturbation.

What's the mini-Pill?

Q. What is the point of the mini-Pill, Doc? Does it work in the same way as the regular Pill?

A. No. The regular Pill always stops you ovulating, i.e. producing eggs. The mini-Pill does something different. It thickens the mucus in the woman's cervix. This makes it difficult for sperm to get through, however, it does have other useful effects. It usually thins the womb lining a little, making pregnancy less likely, and it can sometimes stop you ovulating. Indeed, there is one brand of mini-Pill which does that quite frequently.

Very importantly, the mini-Pill is milder than the regular Pill and so produces fewer unwanted side effects.

Have I hurt myself?

Q. I am a very worried guy, Doc. Yesterday, I had 'hand sex' with my girlfriend, and reached orgasm three times. This is very unusual for me. In fact, I have never done it so many times before.

But what I found terrifying was this. On the third climax, I produced absolutely no fluid! None at all! We were both quite scared by this.

What does it mean, Doctor? Have I used up all my sperm or made myself infertile? I greatly fear that all the sex I have had has damaged me in some way. Please help me!

A. Relax! You have nothing at all to fret about. It is known as a dry orgasm and occurs quite frequently to young men, especially if they try to discharge several times in quick succession. It also happens to some older males, but in their case it is usually due to prostate problems, or to medication which, a doctor has put them on.

Rather surprisingly, some men actually like dry orgasms, though I am not sure why. There are even websites on the Internet which claim to tell you how to achieve such dry climaxes.

One word of warning: Some guys think that a dry orgasm cannot get a girl pregnant. That is not really true. With any type of orgasm, there is a chance that some sperm could get through and reach the lady's womb.

This experience was clearly rather alarming for you, but since it happened, your body will have been busy making more sperm. So the next time you climax, you will find that you are producing plenty of liquid again. Please do take care to avoid unwanted pregnancy.

Am I gay?

Q. Doc, I am deeply ashamed of what I have to tell you. Five years ago, when I was 14, another boy and I rubbed each other's organs and made each other climax. This only happened on one occasion.

Do you think that this experience will do me any serious harm? I have not been with a girl yet, though I would really like to. Is there any possibility that what I did when I was 14 would make me gay?

A.  No, I do not think so. Nobody really knows what the causes of homosexuality are, but a brief experience of mutual masturbation is most unlikely to have turned you into a homosexual.

Could I get pregnant?

Q. I am a girl who does not know much about sex. Last week, for some reason, I let a boy 'splash' across my breasts. Could this do me any harm, Doc?

A. Well, it won't have got you pregnant. And it won't have given you any sexually transmitted infection, but I cannot help thinking that this boy will be back shortly, trying to persuade you to have full sex. Please do not let him!

You urgently need advice from an experienced older woman about 'the facts of life'. If no one in your family can help, try a nurse, midwife, or teacher.

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