Q: I have been having a vaginal discharge for about a year now. I went to the doc, and she told me that I have contracted the STD called trich.
She gave me antibiotics, and they cleared it up. But recently, I got a recurrence of this discharge.
Last year, I married the father of my kids. We have been having unprotected sex for around 13 years. Could he have given me this trich thing?
He does not think he has anything wrong with him, so he wont go to the doctor. And he wont use a condom!
Please help me. At the moment, I feel too ashamed to go back to the doctor with the same complaint.
A: Very sorry to hear about these troubles. The abbreviation trich is short for trichmonas vaginalis.
This is a tiny creature that likes to live in womens vaginas. It causes a yellow or green, bubbly discharge, which is accompanied by considerable soreness. It is NOT the same thing as thrush or yeast.
Trichomonas is generally classed as a sexually transmitted disease (STD). But I have to tell you that there are some doctors who do not agree with this. They think that it can be acquired in other ways for instance, in splashes of water coming up from toilets.
So it is NOT absolutely certain that you got this infection from your husband. And it is also NOT certain that he has been playing away from home.
However, as he has been having sex with you while you have had the infection, there is a high chance that the little bugs have jumped across from your genital organs to his. Men can carry trichomonas vaginalis without having any symptoms at all.
You can see what this means. It is quite possible that he reinfected you AFTER you had been treated by the doc. So really, it would be a good idea if he would agree to take a short course of medication himself.
Now, you say that you yourself would be ashamed to go back to the doctor. But I assure you that she would not be in the least surprised! A very high proportion of women who have trich do get recurrences and thus have to go back for further treatment.
So I feel that you SHOULD go back and see this doc, have a further test, and obtain some more medication.
Really, it would be best if your husband went with you, and got some medication too. I dont think the doctor would want to do any tests on him because, in practice, it is real difficult to test a man for trich.
One further possibility is that your man might be willing to take the medication WITHOUT seeing the doc. If he is willing to do this, she may be agreeable to giving you a prescription for him as well.
Please be of good cheer. This little trich bug can be defeated, and I am sure you will do it. Good luck.
Q: I am male, age 35, and I have had sex with a lot of ladies in my life. But none of them has ever got pregnant.
Now, I am beginning to fret about this. Do you think it is possible that I am sterile, doctor?
I am asking because I have the feeling that in the next few years I might marry, settle down, and raise a family.
A: The fact that you have never got any of your lady-loves pregnant may just be due to pure chance. Also, have you considered that some of them may have been on the Pill?
You could set your fears at rest by going to a doctor and asking for a sperm test. This wouldnt cost a great deal, and it would tell you if you are producing adequate numbers of sperms, and whether they are all healthy-looking.
A normal sperm test does not completely rule out infertility, but it is quite a good guide. I suggest you try it.
Q: Hope you are fine. I am a woman in my late 20s, and since childhood I have had a coating on my tongue.
I brush my teeth and tongue at least twice a day, and I also floss. Sometimes I make myself bleed.
I desperately need your help, because it is really embarrassing.
A: Poor you! This must be distressing. The first thing you should do is to buy a good antiseptic mouthwash from a pharmacy and use it three times for the day.
If that does not work, you should not hesitate to consult a dentist. They are the experts in mouth hygiene, and it may be that the dental surgeon will find some infection that could be treated. I wish you well.
Q: I have a weird problem, which is pain in my navel. If I tap lightly on it, there is always pain.
I am 5 feet 10 inches, and 230 pounds. Is this relevant?
A: Well, it does sound as if you are a little overweight. The extra poundage may be putting a bit of extra pressure on your navel.
However, my best guess is that you may have a small umbilical hernia. That means a tiny rupture in the region of the navel.
That type of rupture is extremely common in Jamaica. Many people are born with it, though it often clears up on its own during childhood.
Clearly, the only thing for you to do now is to consult a doc and get your navel checked out.
Q: I am 45 and my husband is 65. He is still EXTREMELY keen on sex, which is fine by me.
But I am wondering how long he will be able to keep going? After all, in five years time, he will be 70.
A: Well, statistics show that at the age of 70, some 70 per cent of males are still potent. And these days, guys who are NOT potent, having lost their nature, can be helped with drugs like Viagra and Cialis.
So really, as long as your mans health holds out, the two of you should be able to enjoy sex for many years.
Q: I read in the Outlook that the chemical prostaglandin causes severe menstrual cramps. I get these each month.
So how can I reduce the amount of prostaglandin in me?
A: There are a lot of prostaglandins, and they are natural products of the body. Yes, they do play a part in causing pain not just menstrual cramps, but also the pains of arthritis, rheumatism and many other conditions.
They are actually combated by drugs like aspirin and the non-steroidal anti-inflammatories.
If your doc agrees, you could beat your menstrual cramping by taking one of these drugs. Alternatively, you could probably abolish the pain altogether by going on a pill-type preparation.
Q: I recently made a big mistake and had sex with my husbands friend. He was much more skilled than my man.
Should I tell my husband this?
A: No. But it would be a good idea to try and teach him some of the love play techniques which the other guy used.
Please send your questions and comments for our doctor to: editor@gleanerjm.com.
