Sperm Count, Briefs and More |
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sperm countMy husband and I are trying to get pregnant, with no luck yet. He's a cowboy, so he wears boxer briefs and tighty-whities underneath his wranglers. I've always heard that wearing those can cause your sperm to overheat. Is this true? And if he starts wearing boxers, how long will it take for his sperm to be normal again? Sarah Hi Sarah, The tighty-whities/fertility connection really sounds like the stuff of old wives' tales, doesn't it? It is, however, a legitimate one. There's a good reason why the testicles are located outside the body: in order for the testes to produce an ample quantity of (and quality) sperm, their temperature must be lower than that of the core of the body. Tighty-whities can overheat the testes and drop the sperm count. Recovering one's sperm count isn't an overnight process; if your husband switches to baggy boxers today, it'll be a good 10 to 12 weeks before his fertility count is back where it should be. Donald Zimmer oral transmissionI recently had oral sex performed on me by a prostitute without a condom. Given the fact that the prostitute has AIDS and I did not have any cuts or wounds on my penis at the time, how likely would it be that I contracted HIV from her mouth? I'm really worried right now and would really appreciate it if you could answer my question or forward it in case this topic is not your field.Henry Henry, From the time AIDS first entered our world, excluding the period of initial panic (when people were even wary of public toilet seats), oral sex has been considered a low-risk activity for HIV transmission. Providing that neither partner was exposing the other to open sores or wounds, oral sex was widely received as "safe sex," even among those known to be infected with the virus. Oral sex in the new millennium, however, is nothing like it was in the early days of AIDS in the '80s. For starters, a lot more people are enjoying it -- oral sex has become a popular bedroom pastime. Furthermore, people are approaching it with a lot more enthusiasm. For many contemporary couples, fellatio is a rather violent business, involving a lot of thrusting, tugging and jerking. The damage that this can inflict on the skin of the penis and lining of the mouth obviously heightens the transmission risk factor. It's still very difficult to contract HIV through oral sex. In fact, a 2004 study revealed just how tough it is -- 400 men were involved in the study, and their only form of sexual behavior was oral. Despite the fact that there was little condom use, multiple partners and some recipients that were known to be carrying HIV, not a single man contracted the virus. Still, I hesitate to relate that study to you, Henry, because I don't want to lull you into a false sense of security. Get checked out! And save yourself the future stress by using a condom, especially when visiting a prostitute. Donald Zimmer pawning the family jewelsI was looking to sell my testicle to science and wondering if you could help me out. I have been searching the Web all day and I know that there is an actual medical research facility that does this sort of thing, but I have no idea where to start looking. I have tried all the search engines at my current disposal and need some help. Any and all help provided will be much appreciated. Thank you and have a nice day.Josh Hello Josh, You're not the first guy to ask me about a mysterious testicle-purchasing organization. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I'm afraid that there is no such place. In fact, the National Organ Transplant Act makes it illegal to sell any human organs or tissues. It's just not in society's interest to allow people to pawn off their own body parts. It is perfectly legal, however, to donate one's organs, posthumously, for research or transplant use. While the Department of Health does not list testicles among the organs that they accept for donation, plenty of private hospitals and medical schools will. Talk to your facility of choice directly about making the appropriate arrangements. Donald Zimmer sex & tuberculosisMy fiance was tested TB-positive. Last year, she went to the TB clinic to have the treatment: eight months of medication and 2 months of shots (consecutively). After the treatment period, she tested negative.Unfortunately, two weeks ago, she tested positive again and she just started to take her medication again yesterday. We were shocked to learn about her result. Please give us your insights about this situation. Would her condition hinder our sexual life? In another words, is it contagious through kissing, intercourse, etc.? Tim Hi Tim, As I'm sure you're aware, there are two forms of tuberculosis: active and latent. Active TB is contagious, whereas latent TB is confined to the single carrier by their immune system. I'm assuming that your fiance has been diagnosed with the latent form -- or at least an active form that has not spread to her lungs (the source of most TB transmission). Otherwise, she would be in isolation. If this is indeed the case, you would likely only be at risk if her genitals are infected. Make an appointment with the doctor who made the diagnosis, and discuss how you two should handle living with this disease. Donald Zimmer tight squeezeI believe that my vagina may be too small for intercourse. My husband is average size, but even with a lot of lubrication it hurts really bad going in, and sex is very uncomfortable. It has always been this way for me (even with men of varying sizes). I have never had any STDs or any abnormal exams, so I know I don't have any infections or anything of the sort. I am wondering if there is such a thing as a vagina that is too small for intercourse, and what to do about it. Are there any places I can go online to get information on this subject?Maggie Hello Maggie, Let me begin by telling you that it is extremely rare that a woman's vagina is too small to accommodate a penis. If this does prove to finally be the case, it is possible to have it enlarged surgically. But again, it is such a rare condition that you really need to explore all other potential causes and treatments before resorting to the extreme of surgery. Your first step should be to investigate whether you are a victim of vaginismus , a common condition that makes the vaginal muscles clamp down whenever intercourse is attempted. Get yourself checked out by a gynecologist who is well-versed in this condition. Donald Zimmer going cold turkeyFor the last week I have had a dull ache in my scrotum. It comes and goes and usually starts in the left testicle, gradually moving to both as well as the surrounding area. It seems to act up after intercourse or after sitting for long periods of time. In the last two days, the pain has been constant, but never very painful -- just enough that I constantly feel the ache.I have not been overly active over the winter, but I am generally an active person. I have no lumps that I can find and my testicles/scrotum don't seem to be swollen. I eat a lot of healthy food, rarely eat junk food and never drink sodas. Also, a month and a half ago I quit consuming caffeine- and sugar-based drinks and smoking marijuana. Could this be a strange withdrawal symptom (caffeine, sugar, marijuana) or a side effect from the flu? Dan Dan, The primary caffeine withdrawal symptom is headaches, which come as a result of the body's sudden oversensitivity to adenosine. Recovering sugar addicts may experience fatigue, depression and skin problems. There's a debate as to whether there's even such a thing as marijuana withdrawal (because there's a debate as to whether there's even such a thing as marijuana addiction), but those in the "for" camp cite irritability, anxiety and appetite decrease as symptoms of it. I've yet to see scrotum pain listed as a withdrawal symptom anywhere. It's possible that it's something as simple as having pulled a groin muscle to having contracted an STD like chlamydia. Whatever the case, it seems that your body is trying to tell you something; have a medical professional translate exactly what it is. Donald Zimmer
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