I have constant backaches, is this due to a lack of sex?

Urinary urgency, when one suddenly feels the urge to pass urine and if one delays, he or she may pee on him or herself, together with frequent urination are usual symptoms of a Urinary Tract Infection or UTI.

UTI is not always from sexual transmission but with your symptoms you require a thorough examination with the prompt and appropriate treatment to avoid complications. I doubt whether, your mother’s poor methods of cleaning you could be responsible for those symptoms today.

Dear doctor, I want to get pregnant by the time I have my wedding next year. Though it may be an inconvenience, I want it that way. Can you advise if there are drugs I can take to get pregnant?
Tamillae B.

Dear Tamillae, it is many women’s dream to get married and have children to avoid “public inquiries” about when or whether she will get pregnant if at all. It is also the couple’s dream to have the best wedding ceremony without hitches. Women in early stages of pregnancy suffer lots of physical and psychological problems like being weak, vomiting and mood swings which may embarrass them during a wedding. (Imagine the bride quarreling publicly over a wedding cake or vomiting on it or wetting her stockings after a hearty laughter).

If you get pregnant as you wish incidentally, you should bear in mind the likely inconveniencies and prepare for them. Drugs to assist a woman get pregnant exist but on prescription basis only. They are only given in case a woman has difficulty in getting pregnant. The drugs should not be taken for mere psychological satisfaction since they have side-effects.

Dear doctor, I get small pimples before my periods around my private parts. Though they eventually go on their own, they leave dark marks. A doctor gave me drugs that I took for one month but they did not heal completely. My hygiene is good but why does this happen? Please help.
Pauline, Mbarara

Dear Pauline, pimples that usually affect the adolescents are called acne. These may be found on the face, back, chest, anogenital areas and the ear canal.

In some women, one or two or very many pimples may appear related to periods. These usually strike about seven to 10 days before the onset of a woman’s period and then subside as soon as bleeding begins. A fall in female hormones around the time of the period and a relative increase in male hormone with the bacteria coming in because of the pimples are factors said to be responsible for the situation.

Also fluid retention in the pimples may make a prominent announcement of the coming periods. Likewise, pimples may be worsened by sweating and thus heavy padding which sometimes include rags, cotton wool and toilet paper, may be to blame. These paddings are also notorious for causing rashes since many pads are either perfumed or ake. Many women shave the pubis before periods believing this makes them clean and may develop pubic pimples related to skin injury or curved hairs growing inwards and puncturing the pubic skin.

Menstrual period pimples are not due to poor hygiene though it is necessary to be clean. Women should also take special care of their skin around their periods in order not to make things worse. If shaving causes pimples then it is necessary to avoid doing so or to use curved scissors.

You may take medication against acne bacteria but results may only be positive after many months of tiresome antibiotic use. Contraceptive pills and drugs against male hormone can also be useful. If the rash is allergic, one may have to use cotton wool if non-perfumed cotton pads are not available.

Dear doctor, I keep getting a rash on my hands, inside the elbow, and on my legs. It has failed to clear despite using medicinal and herbal soaps and creams like Dettol and Mediven. What else can I do?
Jane, Namuwongo

Dear Jane, skin rashes have many causes including a reaction to what the body may come into in contact with. The most important way to manage a rash is a proper diagnosis of what it is, thst is the cause or aggravating factors. This requires proper history, examination and other tests.

Dettol is a medicated soap which is useful in fighting skin germs and thus it is better prescribed by a doctor.

Use of dettol or other medicated soaps when one has no skin infection will kill the natural bacteria that protect the skin against dangerous germs hence leading to skin infection by resistant germs (super bugs) that may be difficult to treat. On their own, medicated soaps may lead to reaction or infection rashes.