Does this mean I am infertile? And do you think I should have it treated surgically?

A Sorry to hear about this. Undescended testicle is a common condition. Let me explain how it occurs. When a male baby is still in his mother's womb, his testicles are formed, deep inside his belly. As the pregnancy progresses, they move downwards, and should finish in his scrotum.

However, in around five per cent of baby boys, one or both testicles does not descend. It stays stuck in the belly - usually in the little tunnel that leads down to the scrotum.

Fortunately, during the first year of life, most of these undescended testicles gradually travel down into the correct position.

Unfortunately, that did NOT happen in your case. So you are left with one testicle in your scrotum, and the other one somewhere inside you.

I would like to reassure you that you are probably as virile as other guys and also probably as fertile. That is because of the fact that the OTHER testicle is usually capable of taking on the work of two.

If you want to check your fertility, ask a doc to organise a sperm-count test for you. You obtain the test specimen by masturbation. The cost of this lab test is not very great. I hope the result will be normal.

You could go through life operating on only one testicle without taking an operation. However, I do think that you should undergo surgery.

Why? Because if an undescended testicle is NOT operated on, these problems may arise:

The abnormally positioned testicle is at increased risk of cancer - though, admittedly, the danger is not very great.

It is also at more risk of injury.

It is likely to produce inadequate numbers of sperm - because being in the warmth of the abdomen lowers the sperm count (admittedly, this does not matter very much if the other testicle is OK).

It is more likely to get twisted - a most painful condition.

Finally, some guys find it embarrassing when women feel the scrotum - and find that there is only one testicle in it.

So, all in all, I would urge you to see a surgeon specialist, preferably a urologist.

In many cases, the surgeon can operate in order to draw the missing testicle down into your scrotum and 'anchor' it there. I wish you the best of luck.

Q I am a 19-year-old woman and I have just noticed that one of my labia is slightly longer than the other. Is this serious?

ANo. The two outer labia (lips) are usually of slightly different length. That does not matter at all. Only if the labia were a couple of inches different in length would anybody consider operating on one to shorten it.

QMy menses regularly last for seven days. Is that too long?

A It is certainly a little longer than a period should ideally be. This might make you anaemic. I suggest that you consult a doc to see if you need some medication - such as the Pill - which would shorten your menses to about four days.

QI must tell you that last week I had sex with three different girls. And now I have the symptoms which I know that you have said indicate gonorrhoea. How can I find out which of these girls I got it from?

A You cannot. Therefore, ALL of those young ladies need to have medical tests for gonorrhoea ('the clap') as soon as possible. And I hope that you will undergo tests and treatment as well.

Please do not have sex again till you have been cured. Perhaps, you should think carefully about your sex life and about whether it is wise to go with so many girls.

QCan a guy be infertile without knowing it? My wife and I have been trying to have a baby for several years with no luck. She has had many tests, but they have all turned out to be normal.

Now the doctors are saying that I am the one who is infertile! Is this possible? I am a real sexy guy. I have had many girlfriends, and I am capable of having sex every day of the week if I want to.

A Unfortunately, some highly sexed guys do turn out to be infertile - even though they are perfectly virile and have no difficulty in making love.

I am not clear whether you mean that you have had a sperm count done - and that the docs have told you that this is abnormal. If so, you need to ask them to clarify just exactly what the sperm test showed.

If it showed ANY sperm at all, you do have a chance of impregnating your wife through the regular method. But if there are only very few, it is likely that your best hope would be through some form of special infertility treatment, such as the test-tube technique. I wish you luck.

Q I am a 16-year-old girl and I am extremely depressed. My mother does not want me to take antidepressant pills because she thinks I will get addicted.

But my depression is affecting my grades in school. I do not want to go to a therapist. I just want medication that will help me, with few side effects.

What can I do?

A You are 16, so you are entitled to go to a doc and ask her for antidepressant pills. I do not want you to fall out with your mother, but she should understand that if you take these tablets under the doc's strict supervision, there should be no harm to you.

But why don't you want to go to a therapist? If you can afford it, there is a good chance that this would help you.

QI do not want to lose my virginity but my boyfriend says he will leave me if I don't give him sex.

What should I do?

A This doesn't sound like the sort of boyfriend you need. Tell him to go and find somebody else.

If you want to remain a virgin for a while, that is fine. You will certainly avoid quite a lot of anxiety, plus all the medical troubles which tend to arise when a girl first has sex!

Need advice about various aspects of your health? Email questions to saturdaylife@gleanerjm.com.