Author: Jay Patterson

Q. Five months ago I had my prostate removed through my penis. The doctors recommended this procedure because I had difficulty urinating and the gland was swollen. The surgery was difficult and painful. Now I have no pressure when I urinate. It drips out. Also, there is no sperm when I ejaculate. I do get the sensation in both cases. Is this something I should expect? Can surgery correct this condition? A. The procedure you describe is known as a transurethral resection of the prostate, or TURP. It involves “shelling out” the prostate using an instrument that is inserted into…

Q. I just read your article about Overcoming Premature Ejaculation, which described some drugs that a man might be able to take. The drugs were all antidepressants. I think I have a premature ejaculation problem, and for me, if I have a couple of beers first, I don’t have the problem. Alcohol is a depressant, isn’t it? Is it possible that alcohol could work as a cure for this? A. Alcohol is not a cure for anything. It is true that alcohol is a depressant, and it may lower inhibitions and soothe some psychological causes for premature ejaculation, such as…

Q. What might be the cause of ejaculating while having a bowel movement? Should this be a concern? A. It is not uncommon for some men to expel some semen when they have a bowel movement. Most of the fluid that comes out during ejaculation comes from the seminal vesicles and the prostate. Both of these organs sit up against the rectum. (That is why the doctor inserts a finger in the rectum to examine these organs.) Sometimes, a large bowel movement can place enough pressure on these organs to force some semen into the urethra and out of the…

Q. I have been with six different partners in two years since I lost my virginity, but I have only orgasmed for the first girl. What’s wrong with me? I can orgasm by masturbating, but when I get in the bedroom with a girl, I never can achieve an orgasm. This keeps frustrating girlfriends, and my relationships go down the drain. How can I overcome this? I’m with a girl right now I really like, and even after just one time, she’s already frustrated because I made her orgasm but she didn’t make me. A. You can achieve orgasm when…

Q. I am 50, and I have suffered from BPH for a few years now. Recently I had an ultrasound and biopsies (negative) of the right and left lobules. I also had cystoscopy of the bladder. What exactly is the cystoscopy procedure about? I had been told that it involves a transurethral procedure and may cause retro-ejaculating problems. A. It sounds as though you’re confusing two similar procedures that have different purposes and effects. A cystoscopy is a common diagnostic procedure in which a doctor passes a tiny telescopic lens through your urethra (the tube that carries urine out of…

Q. After having a radical prostatectomy one year ago, I am experiencing post-“ejaculatory” pain that is increasing in severity and frequency. What is the cause, and is there any treatment? A. I have seen several patients suffering from pelvic pain following ejaculation. As in your case, these men had radical prostatectomies (removal of the prostate). Post-ejaculatory pain after radical prostate surgery appears to be due to the cutting and clamping of the vas. In order to remove the prostate and seminal vesicles, the surgeon must clip and cut the sperm duct (vas) from each testicle. This has been known to…

Q. When I have sex or masturbate, I get severe headaches as I get close to orgasm. The pain is behind my left ear and in the back of my head and neck. This headache sometimes makes me sick to my stomach. The first time I got this headache, I heard a pop in the back of my head. What is causing this, and how can I get rid of it? A. I would recommend you see a neurologist as soon as you can. You see, during ejaculation, a man’s blood pressure and heart rate both rise. This is normally…

Q. My husband and I have been trying to conceive for three years. Lately I have noticed that his sperm doesn’t squirt like it used to when he ejaculates. Instead it kind of just oozes over the head of his penis. Could this be making it difficult for us to conceive? A. Rest assured that ejaculatory “oomph” is not required for conception to occur. As long as semen volume, sperm count and motility are normal, I would not be concerned with trajectory or distance. The “distance effect” reflects many factors, including the openness of the genital pathways and the strength…

Q. Does the color of semen give any indication of fertility? Does it make a difference if semen is clear or white? A. The color of sperm is usually a whitish yellow and semitranslucent. The color does not seem to play a role in fertility.

Q. My wife and I have been trying to get pregnant for two years. I had surgery to remove an irritable section of foreskin about three years ago. During the healing, the shaft of my penis tightened. Now my semen does not propel anymore. Instead, it trickles. It appears the amount of semen generated hasn’t changed. We had a child before the surgery, so we are pretty sure this is the problem. What procedure would help us get my sperm into her to reproduce (either naturally or artificially)? I thought about a turkey baster, but she refused (smile). A. Forget…