Attitude clinic: Dr Christian answers your sex questions
Each month in Attitude, our health expert Dr Christian Jessen answers your medical queries – including the sort of intimate sex questions many are too embarrassed to ask their own doctors. Read on…
If I have multiple orgasms in one night it can sometimes hurt when I pee. Is this something I should be worried about?
William, Liverpool
If you are having multiple orgasms in one night (lucky you) I think it is safe for me to assume you are either having protracted sex sessions, intense and rigorous intercourse, or excessive masturbation. All of these activities can irritate the delicate tissues of the penis, including the urethra. Semen is something that can also cause irritation. It is not uncommon for you to experience mild discomfort when peeing for a day or two afterwards. Of course I need to point out that this symptom of painful peeing is also indicative of some STIs so I urge you to visit your health clinic to check if this is the case.
What are the dangers or health risks associated with water sports?
Chris, Reading
Drowning? No, I joke. Generally speaking, water sports – a term given to sexual activity where bodily fluids (typically urine) are used during or after intercourse – are a relatively safe sexual activity once urine is being used outside of the body. That is to say that you or your partner is peeing on rather than in each other. Obviously these activities are not entirely without risk, and there is the hygiene aspect to consider too. Certain infections, including hepatitis, can be transmitted during water sports so it is always important to be careful.
Urinating inside your partner definitely poses a risk as it means you are having unprotected sex and this is best avoided. Also, drinking urine has theoretical infection risks associated with it but it is rare we actually see these occur. The main risk associated with water sports is the potential to contract hepatitis.
I sometimes experience pain in the area that I believe to be my prostate when I’m hard or about to ejaculate. Is this from an enlarged prostate? If not, what could this be?
Oisín, Galway
Pain in the prostate on ejaculation is a common symptom of what is termed prostatitis – the inflammation, or swelling, of the prostate gland. It can be very painful and distressing. Depending on your age an enlarged prostate may not be the case as this is usually more common in older men upwards of forty and fifty, with around 4 out of 10 men (40%) over 50 complaining of urinary symptoms caused by an enlarged prostate An enlarged prostate generally does not tend to cause pain but rather affects the starting and stopping of urinating. Prostatitis, on the other hand, is not specific to age and can develop in men of all ages. If this is the case, your GP should be able to treat this with either painkillers, an alpha-blocker to help with urinating or a protracted course of antibiotics. If none of these are successful, ask for a urologist for further assessment and advice.
Dr Christian is on Twitter: @doctorchristian