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Thanks to everyone who applied to be part of our next volunteer cohort! We are not accepting any more applications for 2025. If you’d like to know other ways you can pitch in, check out the option here! Thank you. <3 Do you love Scarleteen and sex and relationships education? Do you have around 8…

We get asked this question a lot. A whole lot. The trouble is, there’s just no way to give you and others the sort of answer I suspect you are looking for. But I certainly can tell you why I can’t do that. Sex – of any kind, whether we’re talking about intercourse, oral sex, manual sex…

Bravo to you for loving the way your girlfriend looks and seeing her beauty, both inner and outer! The truth of the matter is that many women are uncomfortable with their bodies and this starts at an amazingly young age. We (of all genders, though women are often targeted) are bombarded with media…

(Anonymous’ question continued) Especially, when I consider anal sex because, well, why would they want to do that, other than increase their own pleasure. The problem is, I actually enjoy anal, I just… these days, I hate the idea of letting anyone have it. So, basically I’m being ridiculously…

What you need to determine, before anything else, is if you are, in fact, pregnant. To know that, what you need to do is to take a pregnancy test. You can purchase a test to take at home at most groceries or pharmacies, and home tests are very accurate. You just want to be sure that you really read…

My experience with sex-negativity and ignorance in the medical world. Adventures in having an ovarian cyst, coming out in the ER, enduring bad gynecological exams, healing my relationship with my anus and finally finding a good doctor.

An ectopic pregnancy is a pregnancy where an ovum (egg) has been fertilized, but instead of then implanting in the uterus where it needs to in order to develop properly, it instead has implanted somewhere else, most commonly in a fallopian tube, but sometimes in the ovary, cervix or even – in…

If a healthy sex life is very important to you, I’d suggest you start by being sure you’re approaching sex with a partner in a way that is realistic. One essential aspect of healthy sexuality for ourselves and our partners is having our ideas about sexuality based in reality, and being sure our…

Let’s take a few minutes and break everything down into separate thoughts. First and foremost, you need to consider readiness. How do you feel about sex becoming a part of your relationship right now and especially for you personally about starting to have sex? Do you feel that at this point in your…

A lot of times we think about abuse, whether it’s physical or emotional, as something that goes on behind closed doors, and it’s hard to change that frame of mind when, in reality, nobody sees the vast majority of abuse that occurs. Like many of the ST Staff, I’ve seen my share of abuse as the victim, not the witness. So it seems somewhat surprising that I was so shocked to see it, in full daylight, on a busy downtown street this past weekend.

Frankly, if I had a partner – at any age – who, from the onset, was trying to talk his way out of cooperating with managing risks, risks that I would bear the greatest burden of, I wouldn’t just insist on a condom. I would insist on not being sexual with that person at all. I – and you – deserve…

The short and easy answer: not everyone will feel so compelled as to moan during sex, so there’s nothing wrong with you. A lack of moaning does not mean that you’re not enjoying yourself, just as the presence of moaning does not mean that you are enjoying yourself. So now that we’ve knocked out the…

Masturbation is natural and in no way unhealthy for people of any gender if and when it is what someone wants for themselves. It’s also not something that’s just okay or healthy for guys, or more healthy or okay for men than for women. It’s something that the majority of most people do and report…

If you want to have any kind of sex with another woman, even together, than it’s not honest to say you don’t want another woman. You obviously do, in this way. As well, another partner is a person: not a sex toy, not an object, not some new “thing.” So, for everyone’s sake – particularly for that…

Love is Respect is the national resource to disrupt and prevent unhealthy relationships and intimate partner violence by empowering young people through inclusive and equitable education, support, and resources. Love is Respect offers 24/7 information, support, and advocacy to young people between…

Cigarettes are bad for you, but they’re still sold all over the place. I was at the store just the other day and saw a frozen breakfast meal that contained 115% of your sodium intake for the day! There’s no way that can be good for you, but it’s still on the shelves. In fact, for many years in the…

Consent is an active process and agreement, and it cannot be coerced. The absence of no does not mean yes. No matter how well you think that you know your partner, you should never assume that you know her thoughts in that instant about sex and what she may want or not want to do. She should also…

Please understand that anal sex is sex. It is no more or less sex than vaginal intercourse is, just like oral sex is sex and manual sex (fingering or handjobs) are sex: that’s why all those terms end with the word “sex.” So, if you do not want to have sex until marriage, then don’t have sex until…

Unfortunately, some women don’t know or understand when they’re carrying around double-standards when it comes to being ready for sex. You’re not the first guy to ask this question or be in this situation. Just like it is for women, guys are not somehow automatically ready for sex any time their…

When it comes to sex and particularly to the issue of orgasm, expectation can be your worst enemy. As soon as you are worrying about whether you are normal or stressing about a specific event happening or not happening then you’re creating anxiety for yourself, which is a huge barrier to actually…

and Zooey also asks, I had casual sex with a friend of mine and the aftermath here is getting a bit out of hand. We talked about having sex before we actually did so; however, I just broke up with my boyfriend and I made it clear that I wasn’t interested in any emotional relationships. Last week my…

Recognizing that you have negative beliefs about sex and sexuality is a huge step in clarifying what you think to be true and the value system you want to follow. That is a major task of growing up, and not just related to sexuality. As we move through youth, adolescence, and young adulthood we are…

Leahcar’s question continued, This must sound so strange but I’m finally being honest with myself and need to get it out there for someone else to know about before I burst. I won’t tell anyone I know about these feelings, but they just frustrate me all the time. It makes me so depressed because I…

Given when you had your abortion, you’re right: you would not have been anything even remotely close to fully dilated. Your provider would have dilated your cervix to some degree, but only as much as is needed for aspiration, which is nothing close to what is needed for childbirth. At 10 weeks, a…

(Andi’s question continued) I’ve googled the internet for explanations. I guess I’m trying to prove to him and myself that this is just a phase he’s going through. I really want to believe he is actually not gay, just curious about different sexual orientations. Can I be right, because he never had…