Q. I am a 19-year-old male. I was wondering if you could offer me some advice. I have been dating my girlfriend for nine months. For the first three to four months we were sexually active. After a trip to the gynecologist in August, she discovered she had contracted viral infection from a past boyfriend. Since then we have not been able to have sex. The problem I have is that she refuses to have any treatment done until her next appointment, which is more than a month away. I am really frustrated with this, not so much with the fact we don’t make love anymore, but I feel that we are growing apart because of it.
A. My advice is to go and talk with her doctor, She might have to give her permission, but she ought to do that. You have to find out as much information as possible to make sure that her reason is valid. It’s possible that she doesn’t really want to continue the relationship, perhaps because she doesn’t like the idea that you know about her infection. Whatever her motives, for your own peace of mind, you have to find out what it is that prevents her from getting treatment even though she must realize that your relationship is in jeopardy.