Q Doc, I have to confess that I have just a touch of premature ejaculation.

I have heard that there is something called the slide technique that can help it.

What's that?

A It is a kind of distraction method in which the guy turns his thoughts to non-sexual matters to delay orgasm.

The name originated with a Woody Allen film, in which Woody's character clearly had 'PE'. When he felt he was near climax, he urgently started thinking about baseball.

He imagined that a batter was racing for first base to avoid being out. And to encourage the imaginary player over the last few yards, Woody shouted out, "Slide!'

These distraction techniques can help mild cases, but if your condition is quite troublesome, I would advise seeing a doc or therapist.

Q My boyfriend is currently in England for six months. Well, Doc, I have just had a letter from my cousin in London, mentioning in passing that she saw him coming out of a sex shop.

I am furious at the thought of him going with those girls! What should I do?

A I think this may be all a misunderstanding. Presumably, you regard the term sex shop as a brothel.

However, in England, a sex shop is most definitely not a brothel. It is an ordinary, glass-front shop, where they sell sexy underwear, lubricants, 'marriage manuals', vibrators and so on. Quite respectable men and women go there, often to buy bras and pants, or humorous gifts for their friends, particularly when someone is getting married.

So it could just be that your boyfriend has been getting you some sexy lingerie items. Why not ask him?

Q My 17-year-old daughter is getting really painful menses. Aspirin and things like that are not helping. Please advise.

A Clearly, she needs to go to a doc for assessment. Personally, I would put her on to a stronger pain-reducing treatment, the kind that are called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).

If those do not work, the doctor will probably suggest putting her on to a hormone preparation that would take away the pain altogether. In practice, at that stage, many teenage girls opt for the Pill, which works extremely well.

Q Whenever my husband touches my intimate parts, I jump about a mile, Doc. Everything has just become just so painful.

I cannot understand this, because I have always liked sex, and would love to have intercourse with him.

A You may have an infection. However, I suspect that you may have developed a mysterious condition called vulvodynia. In vulvodynia, areas of the woman's intimate parts become excessively sensitive.

Either way, it is clear that you must consult with an experienced doctor as soon as you can. Good luck.

Q I am 18, and I have recently started getting big spots on my face. Should I squeeze them?

A No. That carries some risk of spreading the infection which is in the spots.

You should try buying an acne remedy from a pharmacy. If that does not help, you would need to get some long-term help from a doctor.

Q Many years ago, I had an abortion in America. There is no scar, as it was done 'from below'.

Now I am planning on getting married. Would my husband be able to tell that I had that abortion?

A No way. However, I feel you should think carefully about whether it is completely fair to mislead him in this way.

Q Please help me, as I do not know much about sex. Is sperm the same thing as seminal fluid?

A No. You cannot see sperm, unless looking through a microscope.

They are very tiny things, looking rather like tadpoles, which are actually swimming around in the seminal fluid.

Q How soon after giving birth is it OK to have sex?

A Many doctors would say six weeks. Personally, I usually advise eight weeks, and even then, you should not try it till everything has healed up completely.

Two other things:

1. When you resume, it's a good idea to use plenty of sex lubricant to make matters easier.

2. Do not let your husband perform oral sex on you for a good three months after childbirth. That's because there is a small chance that a guy might accidentally blow some air inside, which might get through the womb and into the bloodstream. Tragic deaths have occurred in this way.

Q Doc, is it true that sex can cause cancer of the cervix?

A In a way, yes. Women very frequently catch a virus called HPV from their sex partners. It is transferred from the guy to the woman during intercourse.

Most doctors think the majority of adult women have been exposed to HPV. In most cases, it does no harm.

However, in quite a few women, it eventually causes cancer of the cervix (cervical carcinoma). When this happens, it is usually 10, 20 or 30 years later.

May I urge all female readers to have regular Pap smears? These tests detect the earliest stages of cancer of the cervix, well before it produces any symptoms. So undergoing regular Pap smears could easily save your life!

Q My wife and I got involved in a sort of swapping session near Negril. Could this have led to any infections?

A certainly. I would advise couples who have got themselves into that type of thing in the past to go to a doc immediately for lab tests for sexually transmitted infections.

Please avoid any kind of wife swapping in the future.

Q Doc, I have heard a rumour that having sex with a virgin cures certain illnesses. Is this true?

A No, it is just foolishness. Please leave the virgins alone.

Q At age 30, I have suddenly started having bad menstrual pain again.

My doctor thinks it is a condition called endometriosis, and is referring me to a gynaecologist. What is endometriosis?

A It is a common condition in women over the age of 27. Among the various symptoms it can cause is crippling period pain.

What happens in endometriosis is that, for unknown reasons, little pieces of womb lining turn up in various places in the body, most commonly just outside the womb.

When the monthly period arrives, the woman's hormones try to make these little pieces of tissue menstruate. But they cannot do so, because they are surrounded by fairly firm structures.

The result is that they just swell up, thus producing real bad pain. The woman may be totally unable to work or do anything for several days per month.

Happily, endometriosis can be successfully treated, for instance, by taking an operation in order to remove or laser, these bits of tissue.

Your doc is clearly on the ball, so do follow his advice and consult the gynaecologist he has chosen.

Email questions to Doc at saturdaylife@gleanerjm.com.