Masturbation is a common behavior that almost every male/female indulges in at sometime in their life. There is no medically related side-effect of masturbation, however it becomes a problem if it inhibits; sexual activity with a partner, is done in public, is done compulsively and/or interferes with daily life and activities. The amount of times you masturbate, is up to you, however it should not cause you problems.

However, when a person masturbates excessively, he repeatedly stimulates the cells responsible for the production of hormones and chemicals produced in the brain which are responsible for the different phases of sexual response cycle. These cells in turn respond by not only increasing their function but also their numbers so that whenever the person masturbates, more than usual amounts of the said chemicals are produced in the body producing more than usual effects.

These chemicals also control a type of nervous system in our body called the parasympathetic nervous system. This system is responsible for penile erection. Excessive production of these hormones also affects the parasympathetic nervous system which might result in erectile dysfunction in males.

So how can one find out whether he is masturbating that frequently? The answer is quite simple. Whenever a man feels that he has become addicted to masturbation and tends to do so not for sexual pleasure but for mental and physical relaxation. This is the time when he has to control himself and seek help if needed.

A normal male penis varies in size and shape and can grow and shrink in response to certain stimuli. A penis normally grows in response to erection and when you are relaxed it appears fuller. Similarly penis can also shrink because of stress, exposure to cold water or air. The shape of a man’s penis also varies. Most penis’s are curved due to normal anatomy.

According to a survey published in year 2000 in Straits Times (Singapore) the flaccid penile circumference in South Asian males ranges from 3.14 to 4.13 inches and the flaccid penile length ranges from 2.36 to 4.92 inches. The erect penile circumference range from 3.66 to 5.11 inches and the erect penile length ranges from 3.74 to 5.70 inches.

Penis size becomes a problem only if it interferes in sexual intercourse. There is no cream, medicine or reliable method to increase penis size.

A normal penis varies in size and shape. Most penis(s) are curved due to normal anatomy. The bent shape of the penis is not something abnormal; in fact, according to research, it facilitates in delivering semen inside the vagina. The shape only becomes a problem if it interferes in sexual intercourse.

A severe bend in the shape of the penis, where you can feel something hard in the penis, even when it is not erect, is a condition called Peyronie’s Disease. This condition could be hereditary (runs in family) or due to trauma, which could be because of violent sexual intercourse, or some injury. The hardness that is found in the penis is because of fibrosis. Fibrosis affects the elasticity of the penile tissue and causes the penis to get bent on erection. Subsequently erection and sexual intercourse then becomes painful and the person has to get treatment. The following is the link if you want to read more about the topic.

Premature ejaculation is defined as persistent or recurrent ejaculation with minimal sexual stimulation, before, on, or shortly after penetration.There are different levels of treatment, psychological, behavioral and pharmacological. On this website we focus on the behavioral modification techniques. These require time and commitment, so you have to practice them with patience.

Behavior therapy constitutes practicing certain techniques that improve penile function. Two such techniques developed by Master’s and Johnson are ‘the pause’ and ‘the squeeze technique’.

Here is a step by step description of how they work.

• The female partner should slowly begin stimulation of the male and should stop as soon as he senses a feeling of excessive excitement that may lead to ejaculatory inevitability.
• Then, she should administer a firm compression of the penis just behind the Glans, pressing mainly under the penis. This should be uncomfortable but not painful.
  (To view a picture of how to hold the penis, follow this link
• Stimulation then should begin again after the male has a feeling that the ejaculation is no longer imminent.
• The process should be repeated and practiced at least 10 or more times. You can lubricate the penis with KY jelly so that it mimics the vaginal environment.
  (Gradually, most males find this technique helps decrease the impending inevitable need to ejaculate.)
• After a period of practicing this method, the couple can sit facing each other, with the woman’s legs crossing on top of the male’s legs. She can stimulate him by manipulating his penis close to, then with friction against, her vulval area. Each time he senses excessive excitement, she can apply the squeeze and stop all stimulation until he calms down enough for the process to be repeated.

Finally, intercourse may be attempted, with the female partner in the superior position so that she may withdraw immediately and again apply a squeeze to remove his urge to climax.

Most couples find this technique works. It can also help the female partner to be more aroused and can shorten her time to climax since it ends up extending foreplay.

If a person can achieve another erection in a few minutes following an episode of premature ejaculation, he may find that his control is much better the second time. Therefore

• Some therapists advise men (usually younger men) to masturbate (or have their partner stimulate them rapidly to climax) 1-2 hours before sexual relations are planned.
• The interval for achieving a second climax often includes a much longer period of inactivity, and the male can usually exert better control in this setting.
• In older men, such a strategy may be less effective because older men may have difficulty achieving a second erection after first rapid sexual release. So it is better not to try it in older men since it can damage confidence and may result in secondary impotence.

There are different medicines available in the market for this problem but they should not be taken without consulting a specialist. You should first consult a good urologist for this problem who will assess which therapy would be more effective for you, behavioral or medical.

Before requiring medicine, you have to be sure that you have a sexual dysfunction, such as erectile dysfunction. Are you having regular sexual intercourse with one partner? Since erectile dysfunction has a considerable anxiety component, it will be helpful to know if you are in a steady, committed, healthy relationship.

Erectile dysfunction is defined as a persistent or recurrent inability to attain, or to maintain an adequate erection for completion of the sexual activity.

The following is a questionnaire that is used as a screening tool for diagnosing erectile dysfunction:

Please answer the following 5 questions relating to the past 6 months:

1. How do you rate your confidence that you could get and keep an erection?

• Very low
• Low
• Moderate
• High
• Very high

2. When you had erections with sexual stimulation, how often were your erections hard enough for penetration?

• Almost never/ Never
• A few times (much less than half the time)
• Sometimes (about half the time)
• Most times (much more than half the time)
• Almost always/always

3. During sexual intercourse, how often were you able to maintain your erection after you had penetrated (entered) your partner?

• Almost never/ Never
• A few times (much less than half the time)
• Sometimes (about half the time)
• Most times (much more than half the time)
• Almost always/always

4. During sexual intercourse, how difficult was it to maintain your erection to completion of intercourse?

• Extremely difficult
• Very difficult
• Difficult
• Slightly difficult
• Not difficult

5. When you attempted sexual intercourse, how often was it satisfactory for you?

• Almost never/ Never
• A few times (much less than half the time)
• Sometimes (about half the time)
• Most times (much more than half the time)
• Almost always/always

If your score is:

• 17– 21 = mild erectile dysfunction
• 12- 16 = mild to moderate ED
• 8– 11 = moderate erectile dysfunction
• 5 – 7 = severe erectile dysfunction

If you are very distressed by your condition and it is affecting your relationship with your partner then you should visit a Urologist at a reputable hospital for a detailed checkup.We encourage you to make a few life style modifications which will improve your sexual health.

• Improve cardio-vascular conditioning, by jogging or brisk walking, quitting smoking, and reducing stress will improve sexual activity for many men.
• Reduce anxiety. This can be done to reduce performance induced anxiety, that is you should use non-demanding, non-genital ways of pleasing each other. This will reduce the pressure for a need for a firm erection
• Don’t regard your current sexual problem as a loss of your reproductive ability. Talk to your wife, communicate with her and don’t feel frustated and apologetic.

In the end if lifestyle modifications have not worked for you, you will have to visit a Urologist at a reputable hospital for further treatment. Since this is an advisory site, we do not prescribe medication.

To determine whether you have a menstrual irregularity problem, you have to keep a menstrual diary for about 6 months, making a note of the following:

• age at the time of very first episode of periods,
• dates of starting and stopping of periods,
• number of sanitary napkins used
• pain or discharge associated before/after or during periods.

These will help to determine whether your periods are actually irregular or abnormal.

Abnormalities in menstruation may include:

• Quantity; – Normal is 1 pad or tampon per 3-hour period.
• Timing between cycles; normal interval between one period and the next is 21 to 35 days
• Duration of bleeding; normal range is 1-7 days
• Time of onset of first period; normal age range is between 10-16 years

Some of the causes of menstrual irregularity are structural abnormalities in the uterus, stress, hormonal imbalance, infections, drug (e.g. contraception), pregnancy and abortion problems and other medical conditions.

The message here is that before you get diagnosed with a menstrual irregularity; know what the normal values are. The treatment for each of the conditions is different and is tailored according to individual problems. So please refer to your Gynecologist for a thorough checkup.

Before deciding a method of contraception it is useful to think about or answer the following questions.

• Your Age:
• Previous contraceptive history: side effects, or failures with contraception
• Current or past gynecological problems: e.g. ovarian cysts, Ectopic Pregnancy
• Menstrual History

How long is your cycle, the time between one period and the next?

Are your periods regular?
Are your periods regular?
Are your periods regular?

Do you experience pain during menstruating?

• Current or previous pelvic infections or sexually transmitted infections
• Medical Problems: Vascular Disease, liver disease, daibetes,hypertension, heart disease, mechanical heart disease, cancer, or any other medical problem
• Current medications:
• Smoking status
• Is there need for protection from sexually transmitted infections?
• Wishes for future pregnancy?
• Importance of delaying pregnancy currently?
• Male partners willingness to take responsibility for contraceptive use There are several methods to choose from, these include: -Oral contraceptive pill (combined or progesterone only)
• Male Condom
• Natural Family Planning
• Contraceptive Injections
• Implants
• Intrauterine System (IUS)
• Intrauterine Device (IUD)
• Male and Female Sterilization

Each has its merits and demerits, and there is always one that can fit your needs. The best way to decide is to choose two methods that are your ideal and then read about them in depth. The in depth information then can be given to you, either through this website http://www.srhmatters.org/write-to-us/ or through speaking to our representative on our 24 hour toll free number 0800-22-333.

The vagina has glands that secrete fluid as a normal process of keeping the vagina lubricated and protect it from invasion from bacteria. Normal physiological discharge is clear to white, not foul smelling or associated with any other symptoms, like itching or burning. The amount varies among women and is not a matter of concern.

If however the discharge changes color, becomes foul smelling or is associated with other symptoms and the discharge occurs mostly during or after menstruation or associated with post coital pain, then it needs to be investigated.

Missing a menstrual period is a lot more common than most people realize.This is often called amenorrhea, which is the technical word for absence of menstrual periods. In women who are not pregnant, amenorrhea is usually due to a hormonal imbalance.While these hormonal imbalances are not usually serious, there are some long-term health risks that can be avoided with treatment. Understand that missing a period is neither a disease nor a sure sign that you’re pregnant.Sometimes missing a period is perfectly normal and doesn’t mean anything is wrong.

Usually if the period is late and the woman is not pregnant, the cause is hormonal. This means that she is not ovulating regularly for some reason.Missed periods are often caused as a result of undergoing a lot of stress. Stress can upset the normal hormonal balance in your body, causing your period to come late, or skip for one month.

Some other characteristic causes of missed periods include undergoing any major changes in your life, such as moving, starting a new job, or changed eating or exercise habits.Loss of significant amount of weight can also cause you to miss a menstrual period. If you find that this condition persists over a few months, you should make an appointment with a doctor.

If you miss more than three cycles or have any symptoms that are worrying you, you should see your doctor to check for the cause of the problem. Usually it does not turn out to be serious and may resolve on its own.

Masturbation is a common behavior that almost every male/female indulges in at sometime in their life.

There is no medically related side-effect of masturbation. If however, you do not feel comfortable doing it, it is utterly your decision to quit. It, we believe is probably your will and dedication only that can help you in quitting what you are not comfortable with.There is no medical remedy which can be prescribed for this purpose.

Below are a few tips that are helpful in dealing with the masturbation problem.

• Make a decision as to whether or not you should be worried about how much you masturbate. It becomes a concern when it negatively affects your life and relationships on a daily basis.It might be time to change your behavior if masturbating is consuming time that could be used to complete other more important tasks.
• You should try to find the cause. You will need to try and figure out the reasons why you masturbate too much. If you only try to stop masturbating, then you will have a high rate of relapse. So, do you know why you masturbate? You might find that you masturbate out of boredom, to relieve stress, or because you are lonely.Relax and begin to think of why you feel the need to masturbate.What are you attempting to escape from? Try not to focus on symptoms. The real reason why you masturbate too much is not because it produces pleasurable feelings. Look deep inside yourself.You may need therapy to help you understand your emotions.
• Learn to deal with your feelings. Finding a proper way to manage your feelings may be a skill you no longer have, or perhaps have not learned yet. What we feel comes from our thoughts.Our feelings are determined by how we interpret the world. You determine how you feel. Masturbating because you are bored is because you made the decision to feel bored. Nobody makes you feel as if you are bored.You did it yourself.
• Excessive masturbation is broken by changing your thoughts. You cannot allow yourself to think of masturbation as the solution to your problems. Learn to enjoy your life more, and you will find you won’t want to masturbate as much.
• Figure out the parts of the day that cause the biggest problem. Finding the times throughout the day that are the biggest struggle can help your overcome your addiction to masturbation. Create a plan to deal with the times where you struggle the most, like if you struggle when laying down at night, do not lay down until you are ready to go to bed. You should try to burn testosterone by exercising. Exercise may help you relax and doze off faster. Find the times and locations of where you struggle the most.
• Try to think of some ways you can make a new and better you everyday. You will be more confident and outgoing. You must change the way you think everyday. You will become happy with yourself even if it seems strange to begin with.
• Alter your habits. If you continue to spend a great deal of time in the bedroom watching pornography alone, it will be impossible to overcome an addiction to masturbation. Make yourself leave the house and meet people. Try to find another way to release sexual tension, and try to make healthy relationships with others.
• Have an alternative plan. It is important to have a plan of something else to do when the temptation to masturbate becomes too much. Masturbation thoughts can be broken by snapping a rubber band. Hurting yourself is not the point, but getting your mind off of the possibility of masturbating is.

Tips

• Exercise and burn energy, first, if you typically want to masturbate when you go to bed.
  Don’t give up! You may need help, but try to think positive and believe that you can and WILL be able to give up the addiction.
• Remember that the problem is in your mind, and you can simply replace your thoughts with others, if you so desire. You possess the power to stop it.
• Placing your computer in a public room where other people are able to see you can help you with masturbating while watching porn on your computer.
• You might want to think about adding software to block the use of porn. Even if you know the password to stop the software, having it pop up will force you to think about doing something else.
• Don’t try to avoid masturbating forever, just try to limit the number of times you try it so you can still have social interactions.

The size of your breasts is something genetically determined i.e. your size wont grow larger than what your genes have already determined. However, if you still want to look bigger then we are afraid that there aren’t any effective medicines or creams which can do this. However, some exercises and breast massage can help a little in this regard. Actually, the breasts are composed of fat, milk producing glands and milk ducts and there aren’t any muscles in them.

Therefore, exercises cannot directly increase your breast size. However, doing exercises which tone up your abdominal muscles making it flat and build muscles underneath your breasts, can make your breasts more prominent and hence appear larger. Swimming is the best of these exercises. Following are the other exercises which can prove effective to some extent;

a) Pectoral Press:

• Grab a five pound weight in each hand
• Stand with your knees slightly bent, feet shoulder width apart, back straight,abs tight.
• Bend your elbows out to the side at right angles to your body
• Slowly press your forearms, elbows and hands together, in front of your chest, initiating the movement from the pectoral muscles
• Slowly press your arms back to the starting position
• Do 3 sets of 12

b) Modified Push Up:

• Lie on your stomach
• Bend your knees and cross your ankles
• Place your hands slightly in front of your shoulders with your elbows bent
• Tighten your abs and slowly straighten your arms and lift your body so you’re balanced on your palms and knees, keeping your body aligned from your needs to the top of your head
• Keep your face tucked toward the floor for a straight spine
• Bend your elbows to bring your body parallel to the floor, and push up again
• Try not to touch your chest to the floor
• Do 2 sets of 10 with another exercise in between

c) Incline press:

• Grab a five pound weight in each hand
• Lie on an incline board or on the floor with your upper back, neck and head propped up with firm pillows or other firm support, such as a large foam wedge
• Bend your elbows out to the side at right angles to your body
• Slightly tuck your chin to keep a straight, yet relaxed, natural posture
• Slowly press the ends of the weights up to touch in front of your chest, keeping your elbows slightly bent, do not smack the weights together
• Separate the weights and press your elbows slowly back to your starting position
• Do 3 sets of 12 with other exercises in between

Breast massage can increase blood flow in the breasts which has been postulated to be effective in breast enhancement to some extent. However, this hypothesis is yet to be statistically proven.

Remember, the ultimate answer to breast enhancement is breast enhancement surgery.

Medically, a couple is labeled as sub-fertile/infertile (unable to conceive by natural means) when they are unable to conceive even after 12 months of unprotected intercourse. This means that there are couples who are absolutely normal and yet take longer time to conceive. A couple needs infertility laboratory workup and treatment only after 12 months of unprotected intercourse.

Infertility/sub-fertility (inability to conceive) workup includes a detailed laboratory workup of both husband and wife. Supposing that you have gone through all the workup and it is normal, there are other options available like artificial insemination (sperm is mechanically kept inside the uterus to increase the likelihood of fertilization with woman’s egg) and IVF (in-vitro fertilization) in which husband’s sperm and wife’s egg are fertilized/combined together outside mother’s body in a laboratory setup and the resultant product (embryo) is then kept inside mother’s uterus for further growth.

To get more information on such methods of conception, please visit a good gynecologist at a reputable hospital or visit the following website:

Experiencing wet dreams (ejaculating while sleeping) is a pretty normal phenomenon especially in the young age. Some men experience this as frequently as every second or third day and some probably once a weak or month or never. This variation is normal and doesn’t affect your sexual health. Therefore, you shouldn’t feel worried. Most of the time the frequency of wet dreams decreases with time and when you get involved in a sexual relationship.

Every woman has some vaginal discharge. It is a natural defense mechanism the vagina uses to maintain its chemical balance, as well as to preserve the flexibility of the vaginal tissue. However, if its quantity increases noticeably and it becomes whitish thick then it is called Leukorrhea. Remember, if vaginal discharge becomes yellowish and foul-smelling, it is not called leucorrhea, rather it can be a sign of some infection or cancer.

The most important cause of leukorrhea is estrogen and other hormonal imbalances. Estrogen is the female sex hormone controlling various body functions. Estrogen and other hormonal imbalances can also be a cause of infertility (inability to become pregnant). So it is not leukorrhea that results in difficulty to conceive rather it is the cause of leukorrhea which makes getting pregnant difficult. You have to visit a good gynaecologist at a reputable hospital for thorough checkup and investigations.

This fluid is most likely semen. This happens due to a condition called ‘CONGESTIVE PROSTATITIS’ (inflammation of the prostate gland). This male sex gland is located underneath your urinary bladder and is responsible for production of semen, the fluid which carries the sperm out during ejaculation. In some men, who experience frequent ejaculations (such as those who frequently masturbate), the prostate starts functioning faster then normal, hence producing more semen.

When the person somehow decreases the frequency of ejaculation, the prostate becomes congested with semen and then, when the person urinates, his bladder at the end of urination while emptying out the last few drops of urine, actually squeezes the prostate and hence you observe the semen drops coming out. A man may notice this more with squatting as there is more pressure exerted on the prostate in this position.

This condition settles down on its own after few months. Sitting in a bathtub with warm water for 10-15 minutes daily will also provide some relief. However, if the condition persists, consultation with a good urologist is recommended.

Generally, virginity is associated with integrity of hymen, a fine membrane that stretches between the vaginal walls with a little hole in the center. Tearing of hymen as a result of intercourse is generally referred to as loss of virginity. This usually results in some bleeding after intercourse. It is also important to know that in few women, this membrane is so flexible and the hole in it is so big that it easily allows the penis to pass through without getting torn.

There is no medical way by which the lost integrity of hymen could be restored. This however can be done by a very sophisticated surgery called hymenoplasty.

An irregular period is defined as menstrual cycle that is either shorter than 21 days, or longer than 36 days. It may also be defined as cycles that vary significantly from month to month, even though they are within the normal time frames.

Some of the causes of menstrual irregularity are structural abnormalities in the uterus, stress, hormonal imbalance, infections, drug (e.g contraception), pregnancy and abortion problems and other medical conditions.

The cause behind irregular cycles has a lot to do with your chances of getting pregnant. Sometimes, irregular periods are a sign of anovulation. Anovulatory cycles are menstrual cycles where ovulation doesn’t take place. If you’re not ovulating, you can’t get pregnant.

Irregular periods may be a sign of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). Depending on whether you ovulate on your own or not, you may be able to get pregnant by yourself with PCOS.

Sometimes, irregular cycles point to a more subtle hormonal imbalance, but you may still be ovulating month to month. Just that your ovulation day varies greatly. If you’re ovulating, you may be able to get pregnant without the help of fertility drugs.

Another possible cause of irregular periods –- being overweight, or underweight, can cause a disruption in your menstrual cycles. Both being overweight, and underweight, can also cause anovulation. Extreme exercise and extreme dieting are more potential causes of irregular cycles.

In this case, losing weight may be enough to regulate your cycles again, increasing the chances of getting pregnant naturally. If extreme dieting is the problem, changing your diet to a more balanced plan, and even gaining some weight if you’re underweight, can help regulate your cycles.

Irregular periods can make getting pregnant more difficult, but they don’t necessarily mean you won’t be able to get pregnant on your own. If you have irregular periods, the best thing to do is see your gynecologist. Even if you weren’t trying to get pregnant, it’s a good idea to get checked out.

Fertile Period is the period in a woman’s monthly reproductive cycle during which her chances of getting pregnant are the highest.

Before being able to calculate this period, a woman has to make a detailed note of her periods for six months. Each month, you should note the number of days between starting one period and the next. Then work out the longest and the shortest interval between your periods. Now you are ready to start calculating.

It can be hard to do it correctly and you will need a pen and paper. From the shortest interval you always subtract 18 days. If for example, the shortest time between starting one period and the next during the last six months was 27 days, by subtracting 18, you arrive at the 9th day after the start of your period.

From the longest interval you always subtract 11 days. For instance if the longest space between starting periods was 31 days, subtract 11 to arrive at the 20th day after the start of your period. Using the figures in this example, the phase when conception is most likely to occur would be between day 9 and day 20. Please note that these figures are an example only and you will need to do your own calculations to work out your own fertile and less fertile phases.

If your periods are more irregular, the fertile periods will be longer.

Anal sex is generally discouraged medically because of the health risks associated with it. It increases risk of transmission of various infections including the sexually transmitted infections from one partner to the other. Moreover, in the female partner, it can cause surgical diseases like fecal incontinence, anal fissure and anal fistula.

Oral sex is safe as long as both the partners are free from all sorts of urinary tract and sexually transmitted infections.

However, some specialists have proposed that oral sex can transmit a virus called HPV (Human Papilloma Virus) from the genitals to the mouth. This virus has shown to be involved in development of throat cancer (laryngeal cancer). These specialists have therefore advised use of some barrier like condoms and oral dams during oral sex.

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a hormonal problem that causes women to have a variety of symptoms such as:

• Irregular or no menstrual periods
• Acne
• Obesity
• Excess hair growth
• Oily skin
• Dandruff
• Infertility
• Skin discolorations
• High cholesterol level
• Elevated blood pressure, and
• Abnormal hair growth and distribution

Any of the above symptoms and signs may be absent in PCOS, with the exception of irregular or no menstrual periods. All women with PCOS will have irregular or no menstrual periods. Women who have PCOS do not regularly ovulate; that is, they do not release an egg every month. This is why they do not have regular periods.

Having excessive hair on face or on those parts of the body where terminal hair does not normally occur or is minimal, is called Hirsutism. Hirsutism can be because of various medical conditions and usually a sign of some hormonal imbalance. Since hirsutism is usually a consequence of excessive andronic hormone levels in the body, it can be associated with menstrual irregularities and ovulation inconsistency as observed in PCOS.

Your healthy pregnancy diet should include up to four servings of dairy products each day. Dairy is an important source of calcium and Vitamin D. You can choose from milk or yogurt – even cheese can count as a dairy serving as well.

Every day, you should have one to two servings of lean protein, which includes foods like chicken, beef, lamb, fish and seafood. Do be aware, however, that some forms of seafood – particularly fish that may contain mercury and sushi – aren’t safe during pregnancy. If you’re a vegetarian, you can choose beans and cheese to fulfill your dietary requirements.

One or two servings of fresh green leafy vegetables should also be included every day. Vegetables like lettuce, cabbage, spinach, turnip greens etc. all fit into this category.

You should also include five servings of whole grains each day. Whole grain products not only provide a number of vitamins and minerals, they’re also a good source of fiber. Pregnant women have a tendency to be constipated, and whole grains can be a big help with this. Whole wheat bread is a good choice.Whole grain cereals like oatmeal are also a good choice.

Each day, you should include at least one serving of fruit that’s rich in Vitamin C in your diet. This could be an orange or grapefruit, or a serving of tomato. This can be in juice form, although the whole fruit is preferable, as you’ll get more fiber and nutrients this way.

You should also try to include two eggs in your diet every day.

Eggs are an excellent source of protein and contain many vitamins and minerals that benefit your body, including a healthy form of cholesterol that will help your baby’s brain develop.

Healthy fats are another important dietary element during pregnancy. Nut oils, olive oil, or avocados are good choices. Avoid trans fats (like banaspatees) and aim for three servings of healthy fat each day.

Five times each week, add some carrots to your diet. These are a good source of beta carotene, from which the body manufacturers vitamin A.

Finally, try to include a whole baked potato in your diet three times a week. Baked potatoes are a good source of easily digestible iron, a nutrient that women need more of throughout their pregnancies.

In addition to these guidelines, you should also remain hydrated, drinking plenty of water and other liquids as needed. Unless your doctor has specifically instructed you to do so, salt your foot to taste.This helps your blood volume increase in a safe way.

The drops you are talking about are called the pre-ejaculate. This is just a lubricating fluid which is released in response to sexual thoughts in anticipation of any sexual activity. Don’t worry as it is a completely normal phenomenon.

There can be various reasons for decreased flow.

• Less blood flow may be genetic and, if enquiries are made, it may be found that woman’s mother and/or sister also have decreased blood flow during their periods.
• Scanty loss sometimes means that the bleeding surface is smaller than normal such as after some gynecological surgery.

Scanty menses or periods can occur normally at the extremes of the reproductive life that is, just after puberty and just before menopause.

Scanty menses can also occur after long-term use of oral contraceptive or due to some hormonal problems such low thyroid hormone level or increased prolactin or insulin levels in your body.

Psychogenic factors like stress due to exams, or excessive excitement about an upcoming event may cause scanty flow.

Excessive exercise and crash dieting can cause scanty periods.

There can be other a little more complicated causes of scanty periods so you should visit a good gynecologist at the earliest for complete evaluation and treatment if required.

Infrequent menstruation is called Oligomenorrhea. It is quite common for women at the beginning and end of their reproductive lives to miss periods or have them at irregular intervals. For no apparent reason, a few women menstruate on a regular schedule as infrequently as once every two months. For them that schedule is normal and not a cause for concern.

Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are also likely to suffer from oligomenorrhea. PCOS is a condition in which the ovaries become filled with small cysts. Other physical and emotional factors also cause a woman to miss periods. These include the following:

• Emotional stress
• Chronic illness
• Poor nutritional status
• Such eating disorders as anorexia nervosa
• Excessive exercise
• Estrogen-secreting tumors
• Abnormalities in the structure of the uterus or cervix that obstruct the outflow of menstrual fluid
• Illicit use of anabolic steroid drugs to enhance athletic performance

There can be other a little more complicated causes of infrequent periods so you should visit a good gynecologist at the earliest for complete evaluation and treatment if required.

Menstrual cramps of some degree affect more than an estimated 50% of women, and among these, up to 15% would describe their menstrual cramps as severe. The common factors associated with this condition are as follows:

• Age of less than 30 years
• Low body weight
• Early onset of menstruation
• Long menstrual cycles
• Heavy menstrual flow
• Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
• Nulliparity (Not having kids)
• Psychological Diseases
• Regular pain killers are commonly used to treat the cramps. Also Physical exercise can help alleviate menstrual cramps. Menstrual cramps tend to improve with age.

The Birth Control Pill besides other side effects also in few women appears to decrease libido, sexual enjoyment and lubrication during sexual intercourse. It appears that the birth control pill affects sex drive because it acts directly on a woman’s sexual hormones.

If you are finding that you are experiencing the effects of a low libido, you may want to speak to your health care provider. Your birth control pill may indeed be contributing to your diminished sexual desire, but this does not necessarily mean you should discontinue taking the pill.

Instead, your health care provider can find you another type of pill that may better suit your needs. Many women find that triphasic birth control pills (which deliver differing amounts of hormones every week) interfere much less with their sex drive than monophasic pills (which deliver the same amount of hormones each dose). Keep in mind however that changing pill types may not be enough. All hormonal methods may produce this troubling effect.

If you do decide to discontinue your birth control pill, be sure to consider another form of contraception, such as a condom or diaphragm, when engaging in sexual intercourse. Also, realize that your sex drive may be slow to return.

The combined contraceptive pill contains two hormones, estrogen and progestogen. Most women who forget to take a combined pill have not put themselves at risk of pregnancy.

Whichever combined pill you take you can miss one pill anywhere in the packet without putting yourself at risk of pregnancy if:

• You have taken the other pills in this packet correctly
• Nothing else could have stopped your pill working
• You have taken the final week of the last packet of pills correctly.

You don’t need to:

• Take emergency contraception
• Use any additional contraception
• Miss out the pill break or placebo tablets and take the next packet straightaway.
• You can continue to take the rest of your pills as normal.

If you have missed up to two pills, anywhere in the pack take the last pill you missed now

• Continue taking the rest of the pack as usual
• No additional contraception needed
• Take your 7 day break as normal
• You do not need to use emergency contraception.

If you have missed three or more

• take the last pill you missed now
• continue taking the rest of the pack as usual
• leave any earlier missed pills
• use an extra method of contraception for the next seven days
• if you have had unprotected sex in the previous few days, you may need emergency contraception. Seek advice.

If seven or more pills are left in the pack after the missed pill:

• Finish the pack
• Have the usual seven-day break or take the placebo tablets.

If less than seven pills are left in the pack after the missed pill:

• Finish the pack and begin new one the next day (this means missing out the break or not taking the placebo tablets).

If you miss pills and have also missed pills in your previous packet, speak to your doctor or nurse as you may need emergency contraception.

The progestogen-only pill contains one hormone (progestogen). If you are more than three hours late take a pill as soon as you remember. If you have missed more than one pill only take one.

• Take your next pill at the usual time. This may mean taking two pills in one day. This is not harmful.
• You are not protected against pregnancy. Continue to take your pills as usual, but use an extra method of contraception, such as condoms, for the next two days.

If you are less than three hours late;

• Take a pill as soon as you remember, and take the next one at the usual time. You are protected from pregnancy.

No method of contraception is 100% perfect. If you think you could be pregnant you should see your doctor as soon as possible to find out. They can talk to you about good pregnancy care, such as taking folic acid and stopping smoking if you want to be pregnant, or talk to you about what to do if you do not want to be pregnant.

Contraception needs to be used until the menopause. Contraception should continue to be used until a woman has not had a period or any bleeding for 12 months.

Many people have doubts about their body. The female genitals, like other parts of the body vary from person to person. Vaginas are all different shapes and sizes, so there is no one set appearance because everybody is different. As long as you do not have any physical problems with your vagina, you should not consider it abnormal.

Pap smear also known as the Papanicolaou test, Pap test or cervical smear is a very simple and painless gynecological test done to identify certain changes in a woman’s cervix which can later lead to development of cervical cancer. If these changes are identified early, a very simple treatment procedure can prevent a future disaster. Since its advent, the incidence of cervical cancer, which once was a leading cause of cancer death in women, has fallen by 99%.

The test is commonly done in Pakistan. You can talk to your gynecologist about it.

Every sexually active woman should have this test done every three years starting from after 1 year of her first sexual encounter.

The fluid that you pass during orgasm is actually not urine but the female ejaculate. This fluid which comes out of the same opening from where the urine comes out is produced by a gland surrounding the inner urethra (the tubes which carries the urine out). This gland is commonly referred to as the female prostate.

Female ejaculation is a completely normal process and you should not feel embarrassed about it.

The fact that your wife is losing interest in sex is most likely because she is not enjoying it. As emphasized earlier, it is almost impossible for a woman to have sexual pleasure and attain orgasm without being sexually aroused. Foreplay is almost mandatory for making a woman sexually aroused. Some women become sexually aroused (the stage when she cannot resist intercourse) after few minutes of foreplay while others might take as long as an hour to reach that stage.

Reaching orgasm becomes very likely when sexual stimulation (physical or intercourse) is done slowly and when she is fully sexually aroused.

Sex is considered safe during all stages of a normally progressing pregnancy.

However, in the presence of certain complications or risk factors, your doctor would label your pregnancy as high-risk and advise against sexual intercourse. Some of these risk factors include;

• a history or threat of miscarriage
• A history of pre-term labor (you’ve previously delivered a baby before 37 weeks) or signs indicating the risk of pre-term labor (such as premature uterine contractions)
• unexplained vaginal bleeding, discharge, or cramping
• Leakage of amniotic fluid (the fluid that surrounds the baby)
• Placenta previa, a condition in which the placenta (the blood-rich structure that nourishes the baby) is down so low that it covers the cervix (the opening of the uterus)
• Incompetent cervix, a condition in which the cervix is weakened and dilates (opens) prematurely, raising the risk for miscarriage or premature delivery
• Multiple fetuses (twins, triplets, etc.) (Not always a contraindication)

Sex during periods is a matter of personal preference and cultural beliefs. Medically, it is safe to have sex during your period as long as you don’t use it as a ticket to have unprotected sex.

There are however, some risks in having sex during menstruation. These include;

• The likelihood of an HIV-infected woman’s passing the infection to her male partner is higher during her periods
• A woman’s chances of contracting an infection, (for e.g. herpes) from her male partner, are higher during her periods.
• Sex during menstruation puts a woman at higher risk of pelvic inflammatory disease
• A woman is also more likely to pass on other blood-borne diseases such as hepatitis- B or C to a partner during her period
• A woman is more likely to develop yeast or bacterial infections like candidiasis or bacterial vaginosis.

Following points should be kept in mind while having sex during periods;

• It’s advisable to use contraception, preferably a condom, as it will prevent transmission of infections and also protect you against any chances of pregnancy
• Consider using a dental dam while having oral sex during periods. They are available in various sizes and flavors
• Remember to remove your tampon before having sex!

It is a common belief that urination following intercourse prevents urinary tract infections. However, there is no such medical recommendation.

There are different types of vaginal lubricants available in the market. There are 2 main categories; water based and silicon based lubricants. Many women are sensitive to silicon based lubricants and so prefer the water based ones.

KY jelly is a very common water based lubricant. If you and your partner use condoms, it is important to first see on the label whether they are compatible with artificial vaginal lubricants.

A baby in the womb gets everything from its mother. Nutrients and oxygen come via the placenta and umbilical cord. Smoking not only exposes the fetus to toxins in tobacco smoke, but it also damages placental function.

When a person smokes, some of the oxygen in their blood is replaced by carbon monoxide. If a pregnant woman smokes, her blood and therefore her child’s blood will contain less oxygen than normal. This can cause the fetal heart rate to rise as baby struggles to get enough oxygen.

The particles in tobacco smoke contain different toxic substances that change the blood’s ability to work in a healthy and normal manner. This can affect the placenta that feeds the baby.

Babies born to mothers who smoke:

• Are more likely to be born prematurely and with a low birth weight (below 2.5kg or 5lb 8oz).
• Have a birth weight on average 200g (7oz) less than those born to non-smokers. This effect increases proportionally – the more the mother smokes, the less the child weighs.
• Have organs that are smaller on average than babies born to non-smokers.
• Have poorer lung function.
• Are ill more frequently. Babies born to women who smoked 15 cigarettes or more a day during pregnancy are taken into hospital twice as often during the first eight months of life.
• get painful diseases such as inflammation of the middle ear and asthmatic bronchitis more frequently in early childhood.
• Are more likely to become smokers themselves in later years.

In addition, pregnant women who smoke increase their risk of early miscarriage.

Experiencing wet dreams is a pretty normal phenomenon especially in young age. Some men experience this as frequently as every second or third day and some probably once a week or month or never. This variation is normal and doesn’t affect your sexual health. Therefore, you shouldn’t feel worried. Usually the frequency of wet dreams decreases with time and when you get involved in a sexual relationship.