Q Six months ago, I slept with a girl for the first and only time in my life. Very recently, I suddenly noticed that I have developed a number of tiny white spots on the skin of my organ.

Could this be gonorrhoea? I dread getting that infection, which I believe is real bad.

The spots are like little grains of sugar. They do not hurt. Otherwise, I am OK.

The problem is urgent, because another girl at college is indicating that she might like to have sex with me. Help!

A Gonorrhoea is common among young people but it has an incubation period of two to five days, not six months. Also, the symptoms which it produces are nothing like what you describe. In men, gonorrhoea generally causes intense pain while passing urine, plus a discharge from the tip of the penis. You do not have these features and, therefore, it is most unlikely that you have 'the clap'.

So what do you have? Well, I have not examined you, so I cannot say for certain.

However, it sounds like these little white spots are just what are called milia. Milia occur in at least a quarter of all younger males. They are little seed-like collections of a skin component called keratin. I assure you, they are completely normal.

have penis checked

I do feel, however, that you should have your penis checked out by a doc, just in case these spots are something else. Odds are that he will say they are milia.

If so, I would not recommend any treatment. There are American websites which suggest that you should buy various creams or go to a dermatologist to have the milia 'popped' with a sterile needle. Personally, I think all this is a waste of time, since milia on the penis are scarcely noticeable, do no harm, and tend to fade as you get older.

They are not infectious. But if you do go ahead and have sex with this new young lady, I do urge you to use a condom.

Q Doc, I am a 22-year-old woman. I am still a virgin, but my fiancé is pestering me to let him have anal sex. He has seen it in blue movies and he thinks we should try it.

What do you feel? Should I go ahead?

A No, do not. Admittedly, these days a lot of couples do practise anal sex, particularly in the US. That seems to be partly as a result of those pornographic videos and DVDs which you mentioned. A recent study found that in around 30 per cent of them, the 'heroine' engages in anal sex.

After viewing that sort of thing, many young men get the idea that anal sex is just a matter of routine and that any girl should be pleased to do it. That is not really the case.

Indeed, I advise women NOT to get pressured into anal intercourse. Why? Simply because there are various possible ill-effects. These are:

It hurts a great deal when you start doing it. Some women do eventually learn to relax over time.

The stretching caused by this practice will eventually widen the woman's anal opening and make it gaped.

After doing it a lot, she may develop a tendency to 'leak' faeces.

She may bleed from the bottom.

Because the buttocks contain bowel germs, these may spread to the woman's vagina, which can cause an unpleasant discharge.

Similarly, the germs may get into her urinary opening and cause a urinary infection.

Rectal intercourse is the most prone means of transmitting HIV, though, of course, that would only happen if the guy has the virus in the first place.

Q I do not want to get my girlfriend pregnant. Could I obtain that 'male Pill' that I have heard about?

A No, sorry. The male Pill remains in the research stage. It is unlikely to be available before about 2013. There are plenty of other good methods of contraception available such as the male condom, the female condom, the coil (IUD), the jab (or shot), the patch, the Pill and the mini-Pill. Really, no one needs to get pregnant accidentally these days.

Q During the last five weeks, every time I have had sex with my boyfriend I have noticed blood on the sheets afterwards. I have checked out my genitals and cannot see any bleeding. What is going on?

A Post-intercourse bleeding usually comes from inside the woman, so it is probable that you would not be able to see the area from which bleeding is occurring. However, it is possible that the blood is really coming from your boyfriend, although that is not very common.

In any case, post-coital bleeding must not be ignored. The two of you should go to a doctor. She will examine your vagina and also do a Pap smear test. If she cannot find a bleeding point, it would be wise for her to examine your boyfriend too.

Q I am 24, and every Saturday I get a severe headache. Doctor, I am really worried that this might be a brain tumour. What do you think?

A Brain tumours are not known for manifesting themselves on Saturdays only. However, there is one common condition which is well-known for flaring on Saturdays: migraine.

You see, migraine often happens when a hard-working person relaxes at the end of a hectic week. That may be the cause of your headache, but you must have a medical examination soon. This does not have to be on a Saturday.

Q Doc, is it all right to give oral sex when you have a sore throat?

A That is really not a good idea. Indeed, you should not even kiss anybody when your throat is sore. It will just lead to transfer of germs.

Q My mother says that it is possible to infect yourself from sanitary napkins and tampons. Is that true?

A Yes. When you have your menses, you are quite vulnerable to infection, because germs may enter the vagina and work their way upwards to the bleeding area, which is the lining of the womb. Germs often thrive in bleeding zones.

Always wash your hands carefully before changing your sanitary protection. This is absolutely vital when taking out a tampon, or putting one in.

Email questions on medical problems to saturdaylife@gleanerjm.com.