Dear Wart Ridden,

There are now more than 100 known types of human papilloma virus,the virus that causes warts, and new ones are being discovered byresearchers on an ongoing basis. Fortunately, each strain is ratherpersnickety about which part of the body it will grace its presencewith, and most tend to prefer the relatively arid environment of anextremity such as a finger or forearm. These strains seem to have areal aversion to the hot and muggy habitat that they would have tocontend with if they packed up their bags and headed south to yourgenital region. The remaining 35 or so strains of HPV actuallyprefer, and seem to require, the jungle-like surroundings ofgenitalia and would likely succumb if left stranded on a desert-likeelbow or knee. As with most truths in medicine, however, there arenearly always exceptions. Medical literature has, on occasion,reported sightings of genital strains taking extended vacations onsome poor soul’s unsuspecting finger. With regards to the warts onyour hands, be reassured that it remains highly unlikely, even if youtried your darndest, that you would be able to successfully transmitthem to your penis.

The College Doc

Dear College Doc,

I try to do the right thing and use condoms when I’m having sexwith my boyfriend, but he always complains that he can’t feel asmuch. I also tend to dry up quicker when we use them. What can we do?

Sincerely,Dry One

Dear Dry One,

Lube, lube and more lube! It is truly the answer to your (and his)problems. Today’s modern lubricants stay wetter longer without dryingup and getting too sticky. Try one of the liquid versions instead ofthe jellies. You can use as much as you want on yourself and stay aswet as you’d like. Here’s a little trick: Put one or two drops justinside the tip of the condom before your partner puts it on. Thiswill allow some motion of the condom over the head of his penis andenhance his sensation. Only use one or two drops though, because toomuch lube might just cause the entire condom to fall off during sex.Also, make sure you use a water-based lubricant and not one that isoil-based because oil can weaken latex condoms and cause them to bemore susceptible to breakage.

The College Doc

– Send any anonymous questions or comments to askthecollegedoc@san.rr.com. This column runs every Thursday. – The College Doc is a board-certified physician who practices atStudent Health Services. The views and opinions expressed in thiscolumn do not necessarily reflect those of Student Health Services orThe Daily Aztec. The materials in this column are not a substitutefor individualized medical treatment by a licensed and competenthealth care provider. This column is intended to address healthissues generically and to increase the reader’s general awareness.ASK THE COLLEGE DOC recommends strongly that you consult your healthcare provider for all medical and health-related matters.