Help Me, Harvey!

Hey Harvey,

Does the G-spot really exist?
How do I find it?

Thanks,
Eager to Please


Dear Eager,

Harvey hopes his advice puts a spotlight on this issue. Often considered mythical, the existence of the G-spot has been a topic of controversy for some time. Named after the physician who first argued for its importance in female pleasure, the Grafenberg spot is considered to be the area on the front wall of the vagina located about two inches in from the opening. Although research has not revealed a particular abundance of nerves surrounding this area, some women will attest to the existence of the G-spot as an erotically sensitive area.

Thought to be analogous to the prostate gland in men, it has been suggested that the G-spot is a part of the Skene’s gland, which is claimed to be the source of female ejaculation. However, the response to the G-spot can differ greatly from woman to woman. Although some women receive intense orgasms and great pleasure from attention to this area, others are not at all sensitive to this spot. Some may feel discomfort or even the desire to urinate.

Finally, Harvey emphasizes communicating with your partner about what is actually pleasurable to her. And since its placement and function is still under much debate, don’t worry too much if “G” does not necessarily mark the spot!

Happy Hunting,
Harvey


Dear Harvey,

Despite the relatively mild weather, I feel like I’ve been sick the whole winter! Anyway, I was debating this with a friend recently: is it true that you should “feed a cold, starve a fever?” Or is it “feed a fever, starve a cold?”

Yours,
Cold as a Noun


Dear Cold,

Harvey has noted that people often have trouble with this saying and for good reason—neither one is actually true! The idea that you should overeat to fight a cold and resist food when you have a fever dates as far back as 1574, when a dictionary maker named Withals wrote, “Fasting is a great remedie[sic] of feuer[sic].”

Luckily, developments in medicine since then have led to the understanding that stressing the body by gorging or starving yourself while sick will not improve your health. Although a 2002 research article published in New Scientist suggested that eating and fasting elicit different immune responses that would tackle different types of pathogens (bacteria v. virus), the results were inconclusive. Harvey can’t think of any studies that have shown that drastic changes in eating habits will shorten the duration or ease the symptoms of a cold or fever.

Harvey recommends that the next time you get sick, whether it’s a cold or the flu, take care of yourself! Check out the Harvard University Health Services website for some great self-care tips. Overall, getting plenty of rest, staying hydrated, using a humidifier, and gargling with warm salt water will all be much more useful than chowing down on that extra bag of M&Ms.

Yours,
Harvey


“Help Me, Harvey” is a health column that will be published biweekly in The Harvard Crimson. Send your questions to harvey@thecrimson.com. All submissions are confidential. Responses are reviewed by medical professionals and clinicians at HUHS.