Q: What local lubricant do you suggest to use for women during sexual intercourse?
A: As with what everyone says lubrication should be water-based as not to damage most rubbers. Of course that’s always true. (Otherwise, everything ranging from PH care to baby oil would have been used). So here comes the lecture on selecting something water-based. NOT!

Best choice: always KY-Jelly… odor-less, color-less, stain-free and a bit sweet. It’s also easily available over the counter at most drug stores. Just tell them it’s for your lola’s naso-gastric tube or your lolo’s catheter. Just makes sure what they hand you isn’t the one with anesthesia (lidocaine/xylocaine)… you’ll be defeating the purpose.

Of course, if you find that too boring for your tastes. Specialty stores sell scented/flavored lubricants that come in such an array of flavors, from banana, grapes to even mint. If you don’t mind paying a little more than the usual you can have this as an option. I know some are available at the shop at Malate. (Advertising anyone?)

Of course the old axiom goes: Kung walang KY—LAWAY!

Q: What do you know about the drug Glyburide?
A: It’s a generic name for an anti-diabetic drug, specifically a sulfonyurea. It’s one of the more commonly used drugs these days though you may have difficulty finding it in drug stores for the simple reason that it goes under it other name in this country—glibenclamide.

Q: Pare, anong gamot ulit yung one dose para sa gonorrhea—yung may study dati? (What is the one dose drug for gonorrhea—the one with the clinical trials?)
A: Of course, ceftriaxone is the drug of choice which covers for both gonorrhea and syphilis. It’s given by injection and a bottle is good for you and your partner.

Cefipime single-dose has been proven to be equally effective in treating gonorrhea, but no studies on syphilis. Of course, there is also the very expensive Azithromycin, also single-dose, but no coverage for syphilis.

Single-dose treatment is having a mega-dose to kill off all those bugs. It pretty much entails taking around 8 capsules at one time. Not a good idea if you don’t know what you’re doing. Going below the recommended dose simply doesn’t work.

Remember that these two diseases, gonorrhea and syphilis, always come hand in hand. So treatment is still best done under supervision, unless you know how to inject yourself.