You said the Mini-Pill might be more suitable for women over a certain age. But what exactly is it?

Is it safe? Will it keep me from getting pregnant? And will it affect my sex life, Doc?

I am 34, in good health, but I do smoke about 10 or 12 cigarettes for the day.

A The first thing I must say is that 10 or 12 cigarettes in one day is quite a lot by today's standards. That has to be a risk to your health.

If one combines your fairly heavy smoking with the Pill, then that is a bad mixture. This combination definitely increases your chances of getting heart attacks, strokes or thrombosis (clotting) in the veins of the leg.

So my main piece of advice to you is that you should give up cigarettes! If you do, you may be able to continue on the Pill.

However, there will come a time when a doctor will tell you he will no longer prescribe the Pill for you because the risks at your age are too great.

The doctor may well suggest that you go on to the Mini-Pill instead.

The Mini-Pill

The Mini-Pill is not a lower-dose version of the ordinary Pill, as many people think.

The difference is that it contains only one hormone, instead of the two which are in the regular Pill.

That makes it much milder. So it is unlikely to cause serious side-effects like heart attacks and strokes.

But because it is so mild, it has a slightly higher 'pregnancy rate' than the Pill. In practice, that does not matter too much for a woman of 35-plus, because fertility is already lower in this age group. So the chances of conceiving are not very high.

One important point about the Mini-Pill is this. You must take it every day - at approximately the same time. You do not have a week's break, as you would with the other Pill. You do not stop taking it during your period. You have to take it every day of the year without fail.

If you forget to take it every day, there is a very high risk of you becoming pregnant.

The Mini-Pill certainly does have side effects, but they are generally very mild, compared to those of the regular Pill. The most common ones are:

breast discomfort

headaches

dizziness

belly upsets

weight changes

irregular cycle.

Most women do very well with the Mini-Pill so it should not interfere with your sex life.

You may also hear the Mini-Pill referred to as the Progestogen-Only Pill or (POP). This is because the single hormone contained in it is of the type known as a 'progestogen' or 'progestin'.

QMy husband and I have heard repeatedly that the '69 position' can help women who have difficulty achieving an orgasm.

Is this true, Doc? Also, we have been unable to find out exactly what '69' is. Can you explain?

A The term '69' is applied to a posture in which the man and the woman are both performing oral sex on each other at the same time. This is often done while lying on their sides on the bed.

The idea is that, viewed from above, their two bodies look a bit like the figures '6' and '9'.

I certainly cannot guarantee that this technique will help you have an orgasm. However, it is certainly true that for many ladies, skilled oral sex (cunnilingus) provides the surest way of reaching climax.

QI have got into the habit of taking a sleeping pill every night. Is this OK, Doc?

A No, it certainly is NOT. Almost all sleeping pills can make you dependent (hooked). Also, you may find that you need more and more of the drug as the years go by.

I think that you should be looking at the question of why you cannot sleep. Very often the reason is depression.

Please talk to a doctor or counsellor about your sleeping problems.