I live in Prague, Czech Republic — Europe. Before asking any question, I should tell you that I really appreciate your service. As for my question, I would like to ask you about the most common reasons for condom failure as a contraceptive method. I suppose that the most frequent one is condom breakage. But what are the others? I am especially concerned about pregnancy risk implied by the accidental transfer of sperm in pre-cum to condom by fingers while putting it on.

I am (still!) a virgin and have a question about the hymen. I know mine is not entirely intact, because I did a lot of horseback riding as a child. But as I'm not a tampon-user (nor wish to become one), I'm not exactly sure how painful intercourse will be, for the first time, nor what will happen to the hymen.

I always assumed it was a thin membrane that, upon penetration, would shrink evenly to the sides. But I seem to have what you might call a flesh tab, and though I've looked at pictures offered in Our Bodies, Ourselves, I'm not sure I understand how an opening will be created, and have the horrifying idea that a piece of flesh is going to drop out or be torn right out of me. Is it normal to have a flesh tab? What will happen to it? And if I tried inserting a tampon, would that facilitate the tearing process? Please help.

1) It seems that I can't maintain an erection for more than a couple of minutes during intercourse. In fact, sometimes it doesn't seem to want to get up and play at all. The girlfriend is really starting to take this personally, but I know it's not her fault. Help! Are there any vitamins, diets, etc. that may help?

2) To put it very simply, I am having trouble having erections for a while now. I used to be able to. I can't have them at all, during intimate encounters or during masturbation. I get a little "hard" but cannot get completely hard. Could you please help me? Thank you!!

Here is my situation: My b/f and I had anal sex, and this was not the first time we've done it. But this time was different. After we were done I noticed there was something that kind of just popped out from my bottom. It's like a piece of your skin or muscle or something. I kept trying to push it back in, but it keeps coming back out. It doesnt cause me great pain, but just a little bit of itching sometimes. What is it? What should i do with it? Is it bad? Please let me know. Thank you.

I know this sounds gross, but sometimes when I get turned on, I like to rub my "vaginal area" on a stuffed dog. After it, I feel good, but a few minutes later, some discharge comes out on my underwear. What's going on, and is this safe?

I have found no better lubricant for masturbation than my own pre-cum. Problem is, I have plenty of it sometimes, and not nearly enough at other times (usually when I have to do it in a hurry). I would like to store some up to use for those dry times by "milking" the stuff into a small glass vial or something. However, I wonder about whether it would "spoil" or start growing bacteria, etc. If so, would that matter, since I would be using it externally on my own penis? Any ideas on how best to store it?

My period is late this month, and I'm afraid that I may be pregnant. The weird thing is, though, my partner and I never actually had actual sexual intercourse (in other words, there was no penetration). I'm wondering if the wet environment could still be a risk. I'm hoping that it's due to stress and fatigue with finals coming on that causing this delay. How long should I wait before getting tested?

My boyfriend and I are having sex 2 days after my menstrual cycle. I am on birth control. I finish my cycle on a Saturday and start the new cycle on Sunday. We usually have sex on the Saturday night before I start the new cycle. Is it safe to have sex even though you have finished your menstrual cycle but have not started taking the pill for the next cycle?

I have recently gone to a Planned Parenthood STD Clinic. From what they told me, they tested for everything "curable" (i.e., they did not test for HIV, genital warts, or herpes). I know where to get tested for HIV, but my question is: are there tests for herpes and genital warts? What are the odds of someone having herpes or genital warts and being asymptomatic? I plan to use a condom during intercourse regardless, but must I do the same for oral sex as well? Is there any way of knowing for sure if someone is clean of STDs?

How can I take a condom off without it ripping the hair off of my penis? I have considered shaving and other hair removal methods, but rejected them on the basis that the solution is nearly as painful and/or troublesome as the problem. The pain caused by this problem can kill the mood real quickly even if my partner and I are ready for more.

A woman wrote and asked you if her vagina was normal. You told her to get checked for STDs but you never answered her question. When she put her finger in her vagina, she felt bumps (she said: stalactites/stalagmites?) I, too, feel this and would like to know if this is normal. I've been to the doctor many times and have never been told that I have genital warts or herpes. Do they all have this kind of texture or am I not normal?