1) I have some small bumps near the base end of my penis and on my scrotum. The bumps do not look like herpes or genital warts. They look almost like goosebumps, but they are always there. I am still a virgin so I don't see how I could have an STD.

2) After examining my penis in the shower, I realized that I have small bumps (all the same size) on the bottom of my penis shaft. I am only 14 and am going thru puberty, so I want to know if the pubic hair grows onto the penis, or just stays on the bottom (mine are only on the bottom). I have never had sex so I know it cannot be an STD.

3) I am a 20-year-old male with a question. Since I can remember, I've had many bumps (small lumps under the skin) covering the underside shaft of my penis, as well as my scrotum. They are very similar to the bumps I've noticed on girls' nipples. When I went to the "Doc," I was told they were normal and fine. My question to you is: Exactly how "normal" are these bumps and how common? Do all males have them?

The service that you provide is very informative. Thank you for it. When I have sex with my girlfriend and I thrust my penis deep into her body, she says that she can feel it hit something hard inside her body. I can't feel it hit anything. She is very curious to know what it is that I am hitting. Could you shed some light on this issue?

I've been taking birth control pills for almost seven years and decided to stop taking them as of my last cycle last week. What kind of changes should I be expecting? How long will it take for my body to get used to not having the hormones? In the past few days, I've been feeling very edgy, tired, and with on and off headaches. Is it true that once you withdraw from birth control pills, you may actually lose a few pounds?

Dear Alice,

As a bisexual young woman, I find myself thinking about both men and women, though my sexual fantasies more commonly involve other females. This has led me to wonder several things: At what age would it be appropriate to begin exploring sexual experiences with a trusted partner? I feel emotionally ready for this step now, but I'm questioning whether these feelings are normal for someone my age. I'm also curious about the relative safety of different sexual encounters - would it be safer to experiment with women rather than men when first becoming sexually active?

How can having multiple sex partners be a risk factor for cervical cancer? What is the difference between having sex with one man one thousand times and sex with one thousand men (not that I'm planning to!) one time?

I have a blood disorder (leiden factor V) which prevents me from talking any form of birth control with hormones in it. This is a problem as I am very paranoid about getting pregnant, I would like to have a child at some point, but not for five or six years. Condoms just seem to risky, and diaphragms and female condoms don't work well for me. So I'm not quite sure what to do. I am able to take the plan B pill, and wondered if I can just take it after having sex. Or if there are any other options out there I would love to know about them! Thank you!

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?

Can having a Pap test during menstruation have effects on the result? I've heard not to get one during this period. Can it cause abnormal results? Why is this?

1) Is having sex in the shower that is hot or in a hot tub safe? Someone told me the heat kills the sperm. I thought it sounds dumb but I was just wondering.

2) I have a question about sex in swimming pools and hot tubs. Will the chemicals deteriorate a condom? Also, can spermicide be used in water or will it be washed away? Please answer. Thank you.

1) I had my first sexual experience on the weekend. Now I'm still bleeding. It's been about two days. Is this normal? How long does it last?

2) Recently, my boyfriend and I were fooling around and he was fingering me. He has really big hands with really long fingers and, for the first time, I felt a lot of pain followed by a lot of pleasure. After he was done, I checked my underwear and it was drenched in blood. I am assuming that my hymen was broken but I didn't think it was supposed to bleed for over two days and certainly not this much. Is this normal or is something else happening?

While reading some of your responses to female arousal, you say that the clitoris is as sensitive as the penis. Why is it then that when I touch mine, I get only a little pleasure, if any? Yes, I know where the clitoris is, so that's not the problem. What's wrong with me?

1) I like to kiss my wife's feet. Do I have a foot fetish?

2) I get sexually aroused by feet. Am I a freak, or what?

3) I have two questions:

1. It's getting to be summer over here; I don't know if that's part of it, but why do so many people wear sneakers or sports shoes without socks? Is it a new style or something?

2. Does it mean I have a foot fetish if I get a "hard on" when I see other guys not wearing socks? I mean, I've seen the foot fetish web pages and I have no reaction to them (basically the same reaction as if I were reading a VCR manual). And, occasionally, I do get a really big "woody" when I go out in public barefoot in my high-top sneakers or see other people do it.

My fiance and I frequently enjoy anal sex. We no longer use condoms with each other during vaginal sex or anal sex. He enjoys ejaculating in me during anal sex and I don't mind it. Immediately afterwards I go to the bathroom and get out his cum, but sometimes it takes awhile for it to all come out. I'm wondering if this is OK to do or if it is harmful to my body because I do enjoy it and would like to continue. I just don't know anyone else who does this and wonder if it could harm me in any way. I've been wondering so much about it lately that I don't want to have anal sex anymore because I'm worried.

For the past month or so, I have not been able to enjoy sex with my boyfriend. Our sex life was great, but now I can't have an orgasm anymore. It doesn't even feel good anymore. I am able to get in the mood, but when we actually start having intercourse, it does not feel like it used to. Sometimes it will hurt a little and sometimes it won't. What's wrong with me?

1) Hi! I have a question about orgasms. I'm a female who has masturbated since her early teens and wonder if I've "overdone" it somewhat. I did it so frequently (sometimes every other day or so; sometimes I waited longer) that now that I'm in my early 20s, I find it harder to reach orgasm, and harder to have multiple orgasms (it used to come so easily to me). Have I "lost" that momentum? Can I regain it if, say, I stopped masturbating for several weeks or months?

Also, my partner stimulates me manually or with his tongue, and I haven't been able to "come" yet... is it because I've masturbated too much? Do women take longer to come? I think he gets bored doing it...

2) My boyfriend has trouble ejaculating, usually taking a long time. I was wondering if it could have to do with his constant masturbation during most of his young life. Could it be that the problem is me? Is there a possibility that we can improve the situation?

This is a very informative site. Maybe your male colleagues can help with this one. I once heard a guy say that "a man has to position himself." I have noticed guys adjusting and have always wondered why. I have also found that I am turned on by this. Have other women reported feeling this way?

I've heard so many horror stories of women who wait until their mid-thirties or later to have children, then find out that they are infertile. I'm 25 years old now and nowhere near getting married or having babies, yet I don't want this to happen to me when I'm ready. What can I do now to protect my fertility and make sure I am able to conceive when the time is right? It's causing me a lot of anxiety!!