I ask that because sometimes I have noticed that a little fluid comes out of the breast and I am wondering if that could contain herpes?

A It is almost impossible to catch a sexually transmitted infection (STI) from a woman's breast.

There are very rare exceptions though. For instance, I do remember a case many years ago when a female patient had a syphilitic lesion on her nipple. It would have been possible to catch syphilis from that.

However, herpes genitalis affects the genital organs. It is almost unknown for it to attack the breast though, technically, that is possible. I do not think you have any need to fret.

I must confess that I don't know what this 'liquid' is. If your partner is getting some form of fluid discharge from her nipple, she should see a doctor.

Q I get very heavy menses. My mother says that she had the same when she was young so she maintains that nothing can be done about the problem.

Is that correct, Doc?

A No, it isn't. When your mother was young, it was indeed real difficult to treat heavy periods. However, nowadays, there are excellent treatments available.

For instance, there are two anti-bleeding medications called tranexamic acid and mefenamic acid. Furthermore, there are various hormones which can be taken orally, including the Pill. Also, there is the hormone-releasing intrauterine device (coil), which is called Mirena, and which is very effective at reducing menstrual flow.

What you should do now is to visit a doctor and have an examination and maybe some tests. After that, I am sure she will put you on some treatment that will successfully reduce the amount of menstrual flow.

Q I am female and I have had a problem with urination for some time now and I am very worried. It started with a bladder infection and the doctor gave me medication.

However, I was still having a pain at my lower side whenever I wanted to urinate. I still have that problem, and during the nights I seem to urinate more often than ever.

I did an ultrasound which showed that everything was OK.

Do you think the doc did not give me the correct medication? Or was it not strong enough? I need your help, because it's too much.

A I'm sorry to hear about this. Urinary infections are extremely common in females, especially after unaccustomed sex or sex with a new partner.

The most common reason for them is that germs which originate in the bowel have got carried across the few inches of skin between the bowel opening (the anus) and the entry to the urinary passage.

These bugs then find their way up into the bladder. The symptoms which they tend to produce are as follows:

Pain while urinating;

Having to urinate more often than usual;

Having to get up at night to urinate;

Sometimes blood in the urine.

One can also get pain in the lowest part of the belly, or round the side at the back where the kidneys are. The reason for this is the fact that the kidney is connected to the bladder by a tube and germs can find their way up that tube and infect that kidney

It does sound as though you had an infection of the urinary bladder, and maybe you still have it. An ultrasound does not detect this.

What is vital, if a urinary infection persists, is to have urine samples tested by the bacteriology lab at the hospital. In order to do this, you need to pass what is called mid-stream urine (MSU) into a sterile container.

The lab examines this specimen under the microscope and then incubates it for a couple of days to find out what germs can be grown from it. They also do tests to discover precisely which antibiotic would kill those bugs.

What you need to do now is to go to a doc for further advice. The doctor will give you a sterile container, and will then send your MSU to the bacteriology lab.

A few days later the lab will send her a report to say which germs (if any) have been found and which antibiotic you should receive.

I hope that this will solve your problem. Good luck. Incidentally, I think you should avoid sex until you are better.

Q Is it possible to get cancer of the penis, as I have heard, Doc?

A Yes, but it is pretty rare. It mostly occurs in guys over 50 who have neglected their personal hygiene.

If you wash your penis regularly and keep the region under your foreskin clean, it is most unlikely that you will ever develop this condition.

Some doctors, particularly in the US, think that every guy should be circumcised, as this prevents cancer of the penis. However, that seems an unnecessarily drastic approach.

Q Is it possible to catch an STI off a toilet seat?

A Although people sometimes claim to have caught venereal infections from toilet seats, in reality, that would be most unlikely. Theoretically, it would be possible that someone could leave a drop of pus on a seat, and that this liquid could come into contact with your genitals and so infect you.

But I have never seen such a case. And none of the standard reference books on STIs make any mention of a patient ever being infected in this way.

Q If someone coughs over me, could that give me flu?

A Definitely. When a person with flu coughs, he sprays out a lot of tiny droplets that contain the influenza germs.

If those come into contact with your mouth, nose or eyes, there is a considerable chance that you will contract the flu.

That is why it is so important that people who cough or sneeze should do so into a strong disposable tissue, which should then be safely binned.

Also, after coughing or sneezing, a person should try to wash the hands as soon as possible.

Q I am a guy of 20 and I am rather nervous of going with women because I have heard that a female can fracture your penis.

Is that true, Doc?

A Very rarely, a fracture (that is, a break) to the erect penis can occur. This only happens if someone is foolish enough to grab the stiff organ and bend it violently over.

There is a 'cracking' sound and the erection goes down. Over the next few hours, there is a lot of bruising and pain.

If this frightening event ever occurs, it is essential to see a surgical specialist immediately. But I must emphasise that you have been fretting about something which is not very likely to happen to you.

Email your questions for Doc to saturdaylife@gleanerjm.com.