Will I Give Sex Disease To New Bloke?

Nov 2 2008 Dr Gareth Smith

Q I WAS diagnosed with chlamydia a year ago and treated. I have a new partner and fear I could pass it to him. Should I have another test?

A CHLAMYDIA is a very common sexually transmitted infection and 75 per cent of women and 50 per cent of men with it can have no symptoms.

If you received adequate treatment it is unlikely you still have a lingering infection but your partner may have it without him knowing.

With any new partner it is wise for both of you to have a full sexual health screen before you have unprotected sex.

Q MY mum fell and broke her hip. She then developed a clot in her leg and was given warfarin tablets. She is now covered in bruises. Is this normal?

A WARFARIN is used to reduce the clotting time of blood. If it takes longer for blood to clot, the risks of complications from deep vein thrombosis (DVT) are lower.

But the blood vessels become more fragile with age, so this and the slower clotting time makes bruising a common side effect of warfarin treatment.

Your mum should have her warfarin levels checked to ensure she is not on too much and she must try to avoid bumping herself.

Q MY husband likes a drink and I've noticed the whites of his eyes are going yellow. He refuses to see a doctor. Is this serious?

A THIS is likely due to jaundice.

The liver processes waste products from the blood stream, including alcohol, getting rid of approximately one unit per hour.

If a person drinks very heavily the liver can get overwhelmed and other waste products, such as bilirubin, can build up to toxic levels. Excess bilirubin gets deposited in the skin, causing a yellow colour. It is most obvious in the whites of the eyes.

Your hubby must cut down his drinking and see a doctor before he causes permanent damage.

Q I AM 38 and pregnant for the first time. My obstetrician has suggested an amniocentesis but says there is a risk to the baby. Can you tell me more about it?

A AN amniocentesis involves a small needle being inserted through the skin to take a sample of the fluid surrounding the baby.

This can detect any abnormality with the pregnancy or the baby.

The procedure is invasive, so there is a small risk the pregnancy can be harmed or, in very rare cases, end in miscarriage.

I can't advise you what to do as it is a very personal decision.

Q I HAVE a really embarrassing problem. Some nights I wake up with a severe pain in my bum that lasts for around two minutes. It feels like I am sitting on a knife. Is it serious?

A IT sounds like proctalgia fugax. This is an intermittent pain thought to be caused by a spasm of the rectal muscles.

There is no known cause or real cure. A hot bath can help if the pain lasts long enough, otherwise you just have to put up with it.