A: For some reason, you can't seem to shake this fear, even though you'd like to, which is why you wrote to me. So instead of not talking to you, your family should try to get you some counseling. If they allow you to continue in this fashion, your fear could grow worse, and you'd only have a harder time putting it aside. So please show your parents my answer so that they understand that what you are going through is serious and not something to ignore. They must make arrangements for you to see a counselor as soon as possible to see if this irrational fear that you have can be reduced or eliminated.

Q: My girlfriend and I just broke up because of a lack of communication and wrong messages. I've been pleading with her to see if we can start again, but she said, 'No, but we'll still be friends and we should wait till things get sorted out and then we'll go out again.' I can't stand letting her go — she means everything to me. How do I cope, and what does she mean by 'We should wait till things get sorted out'?

A: My advice would depend on who was giving these "wrong messages" and their nature. If it was you, and if they were very wrong, perhaps having to do with someone else you were seeing, then maybe you just have to wait until she forgives you. If it was her, then you have to decide whether this relationship is worth waiting for and maybe saving. In other words, if you did something that hurt her, then she has a right to ask for some time to heal, but if she wronged you, then you might be making a big mistake by waiting for her to come around.

Q: My girlfriend asked me what this white stuff was around her vagina. I said I really didn't know, maybe a yeast infection. But she said she used something for that and it didn't go away. She said she had read in a book that maybe it was from too much sugar in her diet, or it could be an early sign of HIV. I was wondering if any of this is true.

A: She tells you she uses an over-the-counter medication for a yeast infection and it doesn't go away, and then she's saying she thinks this white stuff could be an early sign of HIV, and all you two are doing is writing to me? The only way to find out the true nature of this white stuff is to see a gynecologist, and so that's what she must do — ASAP. I doubt it's a sign of HIV, but it's a sign of something, and before she spreads it to you or it gets more serious, she needs to have this looked at and treated by a doctor.