Q: Doc, I am a young man of 17 years old who's currently in a relationship with a girl who is 16. I'm very much in love with her.

She is seriously having thoughts of conceiving a child at this age. I have tried to talk her out of it, but she's very persistent.

In fact, she gets depressed whenever she sees babies or anything related to babies. The reason is that she is so desperate to have a child of her own.

I really love her, but I feel she is far too young to have a child. What should I do?

AThank you for your caring and kind letter. It is obvious that you want to help and protect this girl. However, she is obsessed with the idea of having children. Why?

Well, a lot of young women have the idea that they will gain 'status' by becoming a mother. Usually, they have not thought about the possibility that they could do other things with their lives - like get a good job or go to college.

I suspect that your girlfriend got her ideas about motherhood from her own family. Quite often, a female teenager who has seen the respect which is given to matriarchs in society will decide that it is her own destiny to become a mother-figure - especially if she loves babies!

However, I do agree with you that 16 is a 'crazy' age to conceive a child. Obviously, a lot of girls do it. But try to get your friend to see that once she has the burden of a child to look after, it will be really difficult for her to do anything else with her life.

If she is not careful, she may end up being a grandmother at 32!

I am rather concerned about the fact that you say that she gets 'depressed' whenever she sees babies. Is this girl actually suffering from some form of depression, I wonder? Certainly, it would be a good idea if you could persuade her to have a chat with a doctor or counsellor.

As for yourself, you are obviously doing your very best for her. But let me advise you strongly of one thing: Do NOT let this girl 'trap' you into giving her a baby.

Young women who are keen to conceive are often so desperate, that they will do almost anything to get a guy to impregnate them. They will assure the boy that it is a 'safe' time of the month - when it is not. Or they will pretend they have gone on the pill - when they haven't.

So please take care, and do not have sex with her unless you are using very safe contraception. Otherwise, you could easily find yourself becoming a 'baby-father'.

I am a 21-year-old woman who needs you to explain something to me. My boyfriend is the only person I have ever slept with. Everything has been fine in bed, 'till the other night when something funny happened.

We were having sex in the 'doggy' position, when I started hearing a strange noise coming from my vaginal area. It sounded as if I was 'easing my body'.

What was going on? Now, I am terrified to have sex with my partner, in case it happens again.

AThere is no need for you to fret about this. It is a real, common occurrence. What happens is that the man's penis accidentally 'pumps' air into the woman's vagina.

The air gets trapped there, but eventually, it has to come out - and when it does so, it makes rather a rude-sounding noise. This phenomenon - often referred to as 'vaginal wind' - is NOT the woman's fault, nor the guy's.

There is nothing that a couple can do to stop it from happening, but it is much more common in certain positions - notably the 'doggy-fashion' one. So I expect you will wish to avoid that position in the future.

Q. Doc, I am a woman who has recently put on weight. A friend has told me that if a lady's waist measurement goes up a lot, that increases her risk of death. Is this true?

AWell, it is a proven scientific fact that if the belly gets bigger, that increases the risk of heart disease - and of 'sugar'.

So it is a good idea for a woman to try to keep her waist measurement below about 34 inches (86 centimetres), and for a guy to try and keep his below around 38 inches (97 centimetres).

Q My little boy has developed several yellow, crusty patches in his face. What could this be, doc?

AIt is very difficult to diagnose skin conditions without actually seeing them, but this does sound like impetigo.

Impetigo is a common disorder in children. It is caused by a germ which they pick up when their skins rub against those of other children. It mainly affects the face, but sometimes the arms or body.

Clearly, you must have your son's face checked out by a health professional. If this is an impetigo infection, it will quickly respond to antibiotic treatment.