A. There certainly is. By the way, I can remember a time when at least 20 per cent of teenage girls used to have to put up with this kind of thing. But thanks to modern medication, all that menstrual pain is now unnecessary.

The fact that your daughter's first few menses were pain-free is not surprising. In many teenage girls, pain does not begin till they have reached the age when ovulation (that is, egg production) starts.

The first line of defence against period pain should be one of the two common pain-killers: aspirin or paracetamol (also known as acetaminophen). However, I expect you have tried those.

If neither of them controls the pain, the next thing is to move on to one of the group of pain-killers called non-steroidal anti-inflammatories or NSAIDs. These include ibuprofen, diclofenac and (particularly good for period pain) mefenamic acid.

Please bear in mind that these pills and tablets can have side effects. In particular, they might irritate the belly so they should not be taken on an empty stomach.

If none of these things provide sufficient pain relief, the best thing is usually for a doctor to put the young woman on hormone treatment. In the great majority of cases, the best of these hormone treatments is actually the contraceptive Pill. Why? Because the Pill prevents ovulation. The effect of this is that period pain does not occur.

Sometimes, the first brand of Pill that a teenage girl takes will prove to be unsuitable for her. It might cause side effects, or maybe there isn't sufficient pain relief when the period arrives. In those cases, it is quite easy for the doc to switch her to another brand. I assure you that all over the world, there are millions of young women who no longer have disabling, painful menses. One teenage patient said to me: "Doc, my 'curse' is no longer a curse!"

A. I don't think this would be wise. For a start, you don't know what is contained in this 'special tablet'. It might be anything!

My guess would be that it is a particular type of antidepressant drug. You see, certain antidepressants have the effect of delaying a guy's orgasm. Such pills are quite often offered for sale on the streets or in bars.

Are you actually suffering from premature ejaculation (PE)? If so, I think you should consult a doctor rather than take some unknown tablet sold in a bar.

A. I doubt it is serious but it does need to be checked out by a doctor. When a woman suddenly starts having deep pain (as opposed to pain near the opening), that often indicates something is wrong with her cervix. That organ is located several inches inside, at the far end of the vagina. Perhaps you have a tender 'erosion', which is a raw place on your cervix. But there are many other possibilities so please try to undergo a medical check-up ASAP.

A. No, that is a myth. I urge you to use a condom every time you have intercourse.

A. Unfortunately, the scars of a vasectomy are usually so tiny that it is almost impossible to find them.

So really, there is no way a woman can check that her partner has genuinely had a vasectomy except written documentation from a clinic. I once encountered a lady who made her new man take a sperm test in order to prove that he was really infertile but that is most unusual.

A. You must see a doctor as fast as possible. Blood-spitting is a symptom that always needs medical investigation.

Although it might be due to harmless cause, it can also be provoked by tuberculosis and other ailments. Have an urgent chest X-ray.

A. Doctors do not often prescribe Viagra for young men. This is because the loss of 'nature' in young men is usually linked to psychological factors such as anxiety or panic.

A doctor will probably try to help you understand why you have been having erection problems recently and may suggest ways of attempting to defeat any tension or anxiety affecting your sex life. If by any chance he thinks your male hormones are insufficient, he should also check the hormonal levels in your blood.

I would not recommend that you buy Viagra from the Internet. There have been a number of recent cases in which swindlers who claimed to be selling this drug did not really have any Viagra at all. Some of them just took the money and never sent any tablets. Others sent bogus tablets.

A. This is technically possible, but it is really unlikely.

Write Doc a line and he'll prescribe you a solution. Email questions to saturdaylife@gleanerjm.com or fax questions for Doctor's Advice to 922-6223.