DOCTOR'S ADVICE - Six beers too many

Q. Hi Doc, how are you keeping? I am a guy of 19, and I have had several girlfriends. My current one is a real 'looker', and I think I love her. She is very passionate. But last week the most terrible thing happened. She was lying there and begging me to go ahead. And I couldn't, Doc. I couldn't do it. For the first time in my life, I just could not get stiff. There was no erection. Doctor, I just lay there and cried. She was real nice about it, and she didn't seem to feel that I had 'scorned' her or something. So we are still together. But I dread what will happen next time I try. Doctor, do you think alcohol could have anything to do with it? I do drink quite a lot. And on that particular day, I had drunk around six cans of beer. Your fatherly advice would be most welcome.

A: I think it is almost certain that alcohol was at the root of your problem that day.  From what you say, it seems like you have somehow become a heavy drinker. And to swallow six cans of beer before trying to have sex with your partner is just crazy.

Like a lot of young guys, you have not realised that alcohol is the enemy of erection. Guys who drink too much are very likely to develop erectile dysfunction (ED). That's why male impotence is sometimes referred to as 'brewer's droop'.

Frankly, it would be wise to give up alcohol altogether. If you can't achieve that, then cut your consumption down to a low level - like maybe one can of beer for the day.  And please do not have any booze on days when you know you are going to be seeing your girlfriend.

I feel that you should now sit down and have an honest talk with her. Tell her that you're sorry about what had happened, and that a doctor has informed you that it was probably due to alcohol. Tell her that you are not going to drink so much in future, and ask her to help you when the two of you want to make love again. My guess is that she will be sympathetic, and will assist you when you need to get an erection. I wish the two of you good luck with your relationship.

Q. Doc, I am female, age 20, and I am fed up with taking the Pill for three weeks out of every four. Do you think that I could just refrain from taking the last four or five Pills in each pack?

A: I beg you not to do that! Omitting Pills towards the end of a packet is a good way of getting pregnant.  You see, if you don't take the last few Pills, your body may well interpret this as an instruction to ovulate. So your ovary may release an egg (an ovum), and that egg may end up being fertilised by your partner's sperm.  It is not a good idea to miss Pills at any time of your cycle. But missing them towards the end of the packet is dangerous.

Q. I am a guy of 23, and I am thinking of settling down with my loving girlfriend and having a family. But Doc, when I was small, I had that sickness called mumps. I don't remember much about it, except that my cheeks swelled up, and they pained me. However, I recently read on the Internet that mumps often makes a guy sterile. So do you think I will be unable to have children? PS: I don't have any problems having sex with my girlfriend. I do discharge quite easily.

A: Well, that is a good sign. Sorry to hear you have been fretting about your fertility.  What you have read on the Internet is true. Mumps can damage the testicles, cause severe pain and later infertility. That is one of the reasons why it is so important that children should be immunised against mumps.

Now in your case, you seem to have no memory of your testicles becoming swollen and painful. Therefore, I would guess that the virus probably did not attack your testicles. I cannot be absolutely sure about that, but the probability is that you are OK. If you want to be absolutely certain, you could ask a doctor to arrange a sperm test for you.  However, my bet is that you will have no difficulty in becoming a father.

Q. Doc, I am 23, and I just cannot get pregnant by my fiancé. I took a medical examination, and the nurse said that my womb was retroverted. What does this mean? Does it indicate that I can never have a baby?

A: Being retroverted just means that your womb points backwards instead of forwards.  That is no big deal. It is extremely common, and in many ways it is just like being left-handed instead of right-handed. You don't need any treatment for it.  In general, women who are retroverted tend to have slightly more difficulty in getting pregnant than other females do. But there is a simple and little-known remedy!

American researchers have discovered that if a retroverted woman has sex in the so-called 'doggy-style position', which means kneeling, with her partner behind her, then she has a rather better chance of conceiving. Expert advice is that after your man has orgasmed, you should stay in that position for 10 minutes or so, to give the sperm the best chance of entering the womb. I wish you well.

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