Latest Questions and Comments

Response from Men's Sexual Health:

Circumcision should be the last option for your condition. Phimosis is a vague term used to describe any condition where the foreskin does not retract over the glans of the penis. All males are born with the foreskin attached. It can take years, even well into puberty, for the foreskin to be able to retract over the glans. This can be completely normal. In adult males, however, Phimosis can lead to problems including difficulty with urination and painful intercourse, among others which can become more serious. It is important you visit your GP to discuss this condition. Your GP will explain your options, which should include applying a topical steroid cream, gentle manual stretching or possibly a combination of both. There is also another surgical procedure called Preputialplasty, which releases the band of constricted skin but preserves much of the foreskin. Please do not be afraid to visit your GP for fear that a circumcision will be immediately recommended, as this should be a LAST RESORT. Your GP may also be able to give you an idea why this condition has occurred and advise you how to avoid it in the future. Please let us know how it goes and don't hesitate to contact if we can be of any help.

Answered by Tim Darch on 26th January 2010 at 13:44

Response from Men's Sexual Health:

Premature Ejaculation is a very common condition, with reports of well over 50% of men being affected at some time in their lives, for some men, it is a temporary problem, and for others it can be a longer term problem. There are many factors that can cause this ranging from depression through to a highly sensitive Glans (Head of the Penis). However, in most cases, the cause can be treated very easily. There are various different ways of helping to overcome this condition, and it will depend on the cause, in some cases it may be about how you are having sexual intercourse, and in some cases it may be that some medication is needed. We would suggest making an appointment to see your own GP, it is appreciated that you may feel quite embarrassed to discuss this, but please be assured that this is one condition your GP deals with very frequently. Remember this is one of those conditions that men rarely talk about, so not only can you feel embarrassed to talk to your GP about it, but you rarely hear of it simple because men don’t tell others about it Once the GP has seen you, they will be best able to recommend what will work with you, thus alleviating this problem.

Answered by Tim Darch on 18th January 2010 at 13:54

Response from Men's Sexual Health:

Oxytetracycline is part of a group of medications that are collectively are called Tetracyclines which are broad spectrum antibiotics. Oxytetracycline is still the antibiotic of choice for many Doctors in the treatment of many forms of infections, as there are very rarely any side effects. A broad spectrum antibiotic is one that can be used to treat a wide range of bacterial infections, and is often used as they have a well proven track record in the treatment of both individual infections and more wide ranging infections. Within the Tetracycline group is a range of antibiotics that can be used, some are more specifically targeted than others, but all treat Chlamydia effectively as well as respitory infections, so the fact that Oxytetracycline was prescribed may well just be because the Doctor prescribing them, prefers them. So yes it is possible that the person being treated may have a respiratory co-infection, but it is more likely that the Oxytetracycline was give just to target the repsiritory infection.

Answered by Tim Darch on 14th December 2009 at 10:58 Edited by MSH

Response from Men's Sexual Health:

Unfortunately it is not possible to say with any degree of accuracy. Your partners Doctor will have carried out an examination and then prescribed according to what was diagnosed at the time. All we can say with any accuracy is that Oxytetracycline is a broad spectrum anti-biotic, and can be prescribed for many infections, this does include both for respiratory infections and Chlamydia infections. However, it is unlikely that the Doctor would have prescribed a single anti-biotic to treat both a chest infection and Chlamydia, they will have prescribed to treat one or the other. I appreciate that you Googled Oxytetracycline and found the Chlamydia link, but you may be inadvertently reading much more into the prescription than actually exists (especially as a chest infection caused by Chlamydia is not that common)

Answered by Tim Darch on 15th December 2009 at 10:41

Response from Men's Sexual Health:

There are several risks involved in the licking and kissing of virginal/anal areas of the body, especially internal licking. One of the most common infections is Hepatitis B, which can be contracted from any residue faecal matter, especially around the anal area. You could also contract Chlamydia, which is a bacterial infection and is on the increase in the UK and can be caught through licking (Remember a high percentage of people with Chlamydia do not display any symptoms). Unfortunately most STIs (sexually Transmitted Infections) can also be caught through oral sex, which you should be aware of; but you also have to bear in mind that many people do enjoy oral sex without any complications or contracting infections. On our website we have a comprehensive guide to all the possible STI’s which we would recommend you look at so that you can decide for yourselves the risks involved.

Answered by Tim Darch on 3rd December 2009 at 13:10

Response from Men's Sexual Health:

Thrush (or as it is often called Candida or Candidiosis) does not normally cause the symptoms you have described; the main symptom of male thrush is balanitis. Balanitis is inflammation of the penis.If you have balanitis, you may have the following symptoms: a very itchy, red, and sore glans (head of your penis),and/ or small red spots on the head of your penis (glans), and/or discharge from your penis, and/or pain when passing urine,and/or difficultly pulling back your foreskin, and/or a 'cheese-like' substance called smegma that smells a bit yeasty and sometimes collects under your foreskin. In some men, thrush also causes their foreskin to swell and crack. This is probably caused by an allergy to the yeast. As you can see what you have described doesn’t seem to fit. Consequently we would suggest going to either your Doctor or your local GUM Clinic to discuss this further.

Answered by Tim Darch on 3rd December 2009 at 12:34 Edited by MSH

Response from Men's Sexual Health:

As you've not mentioned it, can you please tell us if you have been receiving treatment at the same time. Also, though treatment is often a single dose of antibiotic, he must abstain from sexual activity for one week after taking it. Has this been the case? Is it possible you are passing it back and forth between yourselves? That would seem the simple answer, so please confirm you are taking neccessary precautions.

Answered by Mara Ranieri Davey on 25th October 2009 at 09:14 Edited by MSH

Response from Men's Sexual Health:

You have stated that the Chlamydia is only showing up in blood tests, so it is just possible that what you partner is not actually infected with the Chlamydia Trachomatis bacterium, but the residue DNA from the original infection in his blood stream; this is quite rare, but not unheard of. If this is the case, then treatment is quite difficult, as he would need regular blood tests and only when the DNA count is low, would the doctor prescribe specific medication, and this would need be done two or three times before the blood is cleared of the residue DNA. The other aspect is that you have said your partner is in another country, though treatment for Chlamydia is quite universal today, there is evidence that show that in some countries not all antibiotics are as strong as they should be, or that the need to complete the full course is advised.

Answered by Tim Darch on 3rd December 2009 at 12:48 Edited by MSH

Response from Men's Sexual Health:

No! A circumcision should be the last option for your condition. Your question appears to describe Acquired Phimosis (also known as Pathological Phimosis). Phimosis is a vague term used to describe any condition where the foreskin does not retract over the glans of the penis. All males are born with the foreskin attached. It can take years, even well into puberty, for the foreskin to be able to retract over the glans. This can be completely normal. In adult males, however, Phimosis can lead to problems including difficulty with urination and painful intercourse, among others which can become more serious. It is important you visit your GP to discuss this condition. Your GP will explain your options, which should include applying a topical steroid cream, gentle manual stretching or possibly a combination of both. There is also another surgical procedure called Preputialplasty, which releases the band of constricted skin but preserves much of the foreskin. Please do not be afraid to visit your GP for fear that a circumcision will be immediately recommended, as this should be a LAST RESORT. Your GP may also be able to give you an idea why this condition has occurred and advise you how to avoid it in the future. Please let us know how it goes and don't hesitate to contact if we can be of any help.

Answered by Mara Ranieri Davey on 21st October 2009 at 19:22

Response from Men's Sexual Health:

A virus is a microscopic organism, they are unique because they cannot reproduce without a host cell. After contacting a host cell the virus will inject genetic material in the cell and take over its fucntions. The cell is now infected and it will continue to reproduce. Viruses can be passed between person to person and from mother to baby.

Answered by Alex Monahan on 29th September 2009 at 15:01

Response from Men's Sexual Health:

Chlamydia is a sexually transmitted infection that is passed on through unprocted oral, anal and vaginal sex. If you have tested positive it might be worth being re-tested as on occasion false positives have occured, they are very rare but for your own piece of mind a re-test might be an idea. If your test was done through a sexual health service like GU Medicine and you are now receiving treatment, then a re-test is no longer possible and you should continue with the treatment. If you are confirmed positive, then your partner will need to be treated also, with a course of anti-biotics. In regards to your question though I am afraid this is not something we can answer. If you have further questions or would like some further information on the transmission of STI's please do not hesitate to contact us again.

Answered by Alex Monahan on 28th September 2009 at 13:07 Edited by MSH

Response from Men's Sexual Health:

A staph infection is not classed as an Sexually Transmitted Infection, Staph is a bacteria that lives on many skin surfaces harmlessly, particularly around the nose, mouth, genitals and anus. If the skin is broken or damaged it can get into the wound and cause an infection. Staph bacteria is often spread through skin to skin contact. So whilst it is not an STI it can be spread through the bodily contact during sex. If you have further doubts please speak with your GP.

Answered by Alex Monahan on 28th September 2009 at 12:58