Q: Doc, I am a woman who has a very active sex life. I have always enjoyed sex, and to be honest, I really adore men! I am in a happy relationship at the moment, which is a relief because I have had some difficult and violent ones in the past. My current guy is a good man, and I love him.

But I am a little confused about that hysterectomy operation which you mentioned recently. It looks like I am going to have to take that operation soon, because I have fibroids and also a slight 'prolapse'.

However, I do not really understand what the surgeon is going to do. Is the operation carried out through the vagina, or through the tummy?

If it is through the vagina, I do not see how I am going to be able to have sex after. Am I right?

The surgeon also said something about the operation being 'total' or 'sub-total' What does this mean?

Doc, I do not want to lose my man.

A: I am sure that you are not going to 'lose your man'. No matter what type of hysterectomy you have, it is almost certain that you will be able to enjoy sex afterwards. However, you will have to go without intercourse for a few months after the 'op', until your body has healed.

The word hysterectomy means removal of the womb or uterus. That is the organ which some people still call 'the breeding bag'. In other words, it is the structure in which the baby is carried during pregnancy.

Surgeon-specialists often have to perform a hysterectomy, because there is something wrong with the womb. Disorders which can make the operation necessary include:

fibroids (which are lumps in the walls of the womb);

prolapse (which is a 'sinking downwards' of the womb and other organs);

cancer (which clearly you do not have);

uncontrollable vaginal bleeding.

Hysterectomy has become a little less common in recent years, because doctors have found other ways of dealing with some of the problems. But it is still one of the most frequent operations.

It can be done either:

by cutting through the skin of the lower part of the abdominal ('abdominal hysterectomy');

by working through the vagina and cutting upwards till the womb is reached.

It should not really matter to you whether the surgeon chooses the abdominal or the vaginal route. In either case, I assure you that you WILL still be able to have sex after.

There are a number of different kinds of hysterectomy.

Total: this means removing your womb and your cervix;

Sub-Total: this means removing the womb, but leaving the cervix

Hysterectomy with oophorectomy: this means removing the ovaries as well as the womb.

Please try to talk to the surgeon or one of his team member to establish precisely which operation they plan to do.

Q: Doc, I am convinced that my wife is being unfaithful while I am away at work during the days. I just feel it instinctively.

Is there any way I could check on this, like doing some kind of medical test on her?

A: No, there isn't. And I implore you to calm down and think about this rationally.

You seem to have no evidence at all that your wife is committing adultery while you are away. You are just relying on your 'instinct' - which is likely to be completely wrong.

I ask you to remember that throughout the ages there have been many husbands who became convinced that their wives were unfaithful, for no good reason at all. In some of the cases, the men attacked and even killed their wives. This is known as 'the Othello syndrome', after the character in Shakespeare's play who murdered his pure and chaste wife.

There must be something that has caused you to worry so irrationally. So I urge you to make immediate arrangements to discuss your thoughts with a therapist or counsellor or minister of religion.

Q: I have heard that when a guy is getting old and finds it difficult to have sex, he can buy some kind of 'strap-on' device which will help satisfy his wife.

Is this true, Doc?

A: Yes, it is perfectly true. Some older couples do find this as a good way of prolonging their sex life.

For more information, type the words 'strap on' into Google.

Q: I am 28-year-old woman, and on the last six occasions when I have had sex, I have noticed some blood on the sheet afterwards.

Can I safely ignore this?

A: No way! This is called 'post-coital bleeding' or 'PCB'. If it happens just once, that usually does not matter. But REPEATED 'PCB', such as you have, can indicate trouble. This could be due to a raw, bleeding area on your cervix.

Therefore, you must consult a doc this week, and let her have a good look at your cervix and do a Pap smear test.

Q: Doctor, my husband has been diagnosed with prostate cancer. He is keen to consult a marabout.

Would that help him?

A: I cannot see that a marabout could affect the outcome of a case of cancer. However, I suppose it is possible that the psychological effect of consulting somebody who is supposed to be 'magical' might cheer him up.

But please bear in mind that these days the medical and surgical treatment of cancer of the prostate is giving better and better results. Some men are cured. I wish your husband well.

Q: I am a 23-year-old man and earlier this year I had sex with a girl in St James. I have now been told that she may have HIV.

Is it at all possible that I could have caught the virus from having intercourse with her?

A: I am afraid that it is. A lot of people still have the old idea that you can't catch HIV through 'straight sex', but that is quite untrue. You can!

So please get yourself a blood test for the virus as soon as possible. In the meantime, you must refrain from having sex with anyone else.

Q: I am a 28-year-old woman. I am still a virgin and my friend says that as I have 'left it so long', I would find it very difficult and painful to have intercourse.

Is that correct, Doc?

A: No, it is completely incorrect. Until recently, a lot of women did not have sex till age 28, or even much later. This did not cause them any problems when they finally lost their virginity.

If and when you decide to, I am sure you will find that everything will be fine.