Q Doc, I am a girl of 18, and I would like to know this. Is it really possible to become pregnant, even though one is a virgin? Several of my friends have told me that this is so.

You see, doc, I am still a virgin. But I have been fooling around with my boyfriend to the point where I made him discharge.

He is always trying to get nearer to my private parts, and two weeks ago, I somehow let him discharge over the front of my vaginal opening.

Now my period is late. Is there any chance I could be pregnant?

A Over the course of many years, I have only seen a couple of cases in which women became pregnant, even though they were still virgins. So this is a pretty rare occurrence.

How can it happen? Well, even though people think that a virgin's vagina is 'blocked' by a little membrane, in reality, there is nearly always a little hole in this 'barrier.'

If you think about it, there HAS to be a hole - in order to let the menstrual blood out.

So the presence of the hole can also let sperm in. Therefore, it is NOT a good idea to let a boy splash his sperm anywhere near your personal parts - just in case the sperms find their way inside you.

Having said all that, I do think it is unlikely that you are pregnant. There are all sorts of other reasons why your menses could be late.

But if you don't see a period during the next week, please do a pregnancy test to make certain.

Q I am a 26-year-old-guy and a couple of weeks ago I visited Kingston on business. While I was there, I paid a pretty girl for sex.

Well, doc, I now have pain in passing urine, plus a white or grey discharge on the inside of my pants. What is going on?

A You have clearly caught either gonorrhoea ('the clap') or urethritis from this pretty girl.

Please see a doc immediately for tests and treatment. And I beg you NOT to have sex with anyone until you have been cured.

Q Hello, doc. I am a female, aged 19. For some weeks, I have had an itch on my private parts and on my thigh.

I borrowed some special ointment from a friend, which her doctor had prescribed for her.

But it has made it worse instead of better. Why?

A You should never use other people's medication. The ointment which you are talking about could be a strong steroid and not suitable for everybody.

Since it made your itching worse, I am guessing that maybe you have a little fungus infection. Steroids are notorious for making fungus problems flare up.

So stop using this stuff and consult a doc.

Q Doc, I have been on antidepressant pills for five years. But I feel better now.

So last week, I tried to give them up. Well, I immediately felt terrible!

I saw flashing lights and got ringing in my ears. I seemed to be real frightened of noises, and I had other low feelings.

Therefore, I started taking them again - and the feelings went away.

What is going on?

A Many people take antidepressant medication to help them through 'bad patches' in life. However, the body does get accustomed to these pills. So if you stop them SUDDENLY, you are liable to get 'withdrawal symptoms' like you mentioned.

Therefore, when stopping antidepressants, it is important to cease GRADUALLY. Please see a doc who will advise you how to do this. You will probably need to take one every other day for a while, and then one every three days, and so on.

Q I am 21, doc, and I have a strange feeling in my left breast. Could this be cancer?

A Breast cancer is really rare at age 21. Also, it does not start with 'strange feelings'. Usually, the first sign is a LUMP.

However, I think you should have this breast checked out by a doc, just in case.

Q My father had lung cancer. Does this mean that I, too, will get it, doc?

A No, not at all. Lung cancer is mostly caused by smoking. It is not really a hereditary thing.

If you don't smoke, you are less likely to get it.

Q I am the mother of a six-year-old son. I read what you said in The Gleaner about circumcision, and the fact that it can sometimes go badly wrong.

Well, last year my son complained that his penis was hurting him. I took him to the hospital and the doctors told me that his foreskin was really tight, and that there was only a tiny hole for urinating through.

They suggested that he be circumcised. However, I also took him to a private doctor, who said that it was NOT necessary to circumcise him. He said that I should just roll back his foreskin whenever he is having his bath, and use Vaseline on it.

What do you think I should do, doc? If I let him take the operation, could something go badly wrong? He is due to have it very soon.

AProblems with circumcision operations can occur, but I must stress to you that they are rare. Most of these operations go well, provided that the doc is experienced in doing 'circs'.

Looking at the dates you have mentioned in your email, it may well be that your son has already had his 'op'. I hope it all went very well, and that he is now urinating without difficulty.

To other parents, I would just say that if a child's foreskin is tight, there is no point in 'rushing' into the operation. Sometimes the problem will get better as the pickney grows older.

Also, scientists in Europe have discovered that sometimes it is possible to avoid the need for a circumcision by regularly applying a little hydrocortisone cream to the child's foreskin. This reduces inflammation, and so can make the opening widen out a little.

QI am a female of 19, and I am convinced that I do not have a clitoris. Is this possible, doc?

AThat is most unlikely. I do not think I have ever examined a woman who did not have a clitoris.

I suggest you consult a female doctor who is experienced in gynaecology and family planning. I am sure that she will soon be able to show you where your clitoris is.

QI get very frightened whenever I have to leave the house, doc. Why is this?

AYou have a well-known nervous condition called agoraphobia, in which there is great fear of going away from the safety of one's own home. It occurs mostly in women.

Please go and see a therapist or counsellor. He or she will show you ways to defeat this distressing illness.

Need advice from Doc on sexual and other health problems? Email comments to saturdaylife@gleanerjm.com.