A Your experience of finding first intercourse to be 'not very interesting' and indeed 'uncomfortable' is common among young women. You will probably get to enjoy sex more when you are somewhat older.
Now you have been bleeding for three weeks. This is NOT normal!
There are two possible explanations.
First, the boy may well have cut you with his fingernail which has not healed up.
Second, you may be losing blood from the remains of your hymen. The hymen is the membrane which partially closes the lower end of the vagina. It is often called 'the virgin's veil'. When it is broken, there is often slight bleeding. But then everything SHOULD heal up within a few days.
So clearly, something is not quite right with your vagina. See a doc this week and have a thorough examination. The doc will almost certainly be able to put everything right.
Please: No sex until you have consulted the doc!
QMy dad was told recently that he has something called 'myeloma', which seems to be a cancer.
He had been going to the doctor for over a year, and even had surgery. No one told us what his problem was, even though we had spent a lot of money on tests.
Is it a policy among doctors to keep patients from knowing they have cancer? Also, what exactly is 'myeloma'?
A I am sorry to hear about your father. No, there isn't a 'policy' among doctors to keep people from knowing that they have cancer.
In the past, it was common to try and 'shield' patients from the news, but that is much less frequently done today.
It is sad that your dad has myeloma - also known as myelomatosis. This is an uncommon form of bone cancer, occurring mainly among older people. It is often difficult to diagnose, and that may be what happened in your father's case.
Myeloma is generally treated with steroids and chemotherapy, plus sometimes thalidomide and stem calls. Strong painkillers are usually needed.
You are emailing from New York, so I suggest that you find out more by contacting the United States charity called the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation at www.multiplemyelomaresearchfoundation.org.
Q I am a 24-year-old guy. Recently I had sex with a much older lady - around 50, I think. She enjoyed it, and so did I.
But I am worried by the fact that since then, the skin of my organ has been quite sore. Is this serious?
A That is unlikely. What has probably happened is that this older lady was rather drier than you are used to. That creates friction, and therefore soreness (for both partners).
For the moment, I think that all you need do is to put on some soothing cream, which can be bought from a pharmacy. If the soreness persists for another week, have yourself checked out by a doctor.
Q Help me please, Doc. I am an 18-year-old guy and I think I am gay - seriously.
I am still in school. For some reason, I have never had a girlfriend. All of my pals have one.
Also, I find myself shying away from girls, though I don't know why.
Furthermore, from about last year I've found myself being attracted to males. I have visited gay porn sites. I even 'met' a nice guy in a gay chat room.
He says he wants a relationship with me. What should I do?
A Well, you are still very young. As with many young males, perhaps your sexual orientation has not 'settled'.
Being shy with women and never having had a girlfriend does NOT make you gay!
However, your interest in homosexual porn and homosexual chat rooms does suggest that you may be veering that way.
It is important that you do not do anything sudden or unwise while you are so young. For instance, at the moment, meeting a gay man and having a date with him could have a powerful effect on you and might pull you strongly towards homosexuality.
I have to be frank and say that it is quite possible that you will turn out to be gay. But I suggest that you do not rush matters and monitor your feelings over the next couple of years. Good luck.
Q I have just used a tampon for the first time. Does this mean that legally I am no longer a virgin?
A No, it does not. So quit fretting.
Q I wrote to you recently about having unprotected sex with a guy. I would like to inform you that my menses have now occurred, after taking the morning-after pill.
A That is good. But please try to avoid unprotected sex in future. It has caused you a lot of worry already. I wish you well.
Q I am a young man and am concerned about my health. Since lately, I've been noticing that between my thighs and around the genital area are becoming dry, white and itchy.
Could you tell me what could be causing this problem and how serious it is?
A Statistically, the likeliest cause is a fungal infection between the thighs. Such infections are common in young men. The warm Jamaican climate makes people very likely to get them - because fungi love heat and moisture.
My advice to you is this. Get yourself an anti-fungal cream from the pharmacy, and apply it twice for the day, over the next fortnight. Also, take great care to dry yourself thoroughly whenever you take a shower or a swim.
If these measures don't cure you within two weeks, have your skin examined by a doc.
Q I wake up every morning with a very dry mouth and tongue. Can you give me a remedy to eliminate same?
A I think you should have a urine test for sugar. That is because of the fact that diabetes can make a person real thirsty and 'dry' at night. A nurse, a pharmacy or a doc could do the test for you.
If the test is negative, see a dentist to check whether there is anything wrong with the mouth.
Finally, it is possible that your nose is just blocked. That makes people breathe through their mouths at night, which dries out the tongue and palate. You can check whether your nose is blocked by just closing your mouth and trying to breathe through the nostrils.
A blocked nose generally needs treatment from a doc, often employing nasal drops or an inhaler.
Email questions to saturdaylife@gleanerjm.com.