Oooo, thank you for explaining! I'm sure someone will find that helpful. How does your degree play into this passion?

To me, being embraced is mainly about support! I feel like I'm a pretty extroverted person in general, and a lot of that is thriving on having a community that I feel comfortable in. I grew up surrounded by a strong community of queer women (roller derby!), and I feel the echoes of that impact in m...

That's a fantastic question! I would say that being fat has impacted just about every aspect of my life, honestly. It took me a long time after my weight gain (due to a combination of PCOS and medications) to accept myself and to even use that word. I felt like it wasn't 'fair' that I was fat, beca...

Sexual agency is something that is deeply personal for everybody, no matter their level of sexual interest. From asexuals to allosexuals, everybody should have the right to do what they want with their body as long as it is safe, sane, and consensual. However, there is definitely a disconnect betwe...

Of course! I think it's hard to NOT see how a lack of accessible and safe sexual healthcare impacts people. From higher teen pregnancy and STI rates to lowered rates of reporting sexual misconduct, it's clear that prior formal sexual education was lacking in a few areas. In fact, in a study I did a...

Thank you for the intro, Orion (and the cross-post, Sam!) I would say that my interest in sexual education was influenced by two big factors; my mom and my personal experience with sexual education. Growing up, my mom was an OBGYN tech so I was thankfully very accurately and appropriately educated ...

Sofi wrote: ↑Fri Jun 28, 2024 5:01 pm Sam asked: "Okay, another question that I love asking folks: if you were a method of birth control, which would you be and why?"

Lol!!! This is hilarious. I'd say plan B, because I work best under pressure and am hated by extreme conservatives.

Re: "Absolutely, thank you for asking! As far as Scarlteen goes, I'm currently writing an article about over the counter birth control, which I'm very excited about. Lately, I've been working full time, so I haven't had much time for personal writing projects. However when I find the time, I l...

Re: "Hi Orion! I remember when you first introduced yourself to us, you talked about how much you love to write! Are there any things you're writing right now (they don't have to be Scarleteen related, to be clear) that you're open to talking about?" Absolutely, thank you for asking! As fa...

Thank you!<3 My experiences have lead to a lot of shame and pain surrounding sex. It took a very long time to accept myself, and I'm still working on it now. Being trauma informed with sex is very important, because it's something that's easy to miss. The best advice I could give someone seeking kno...

Being queer in the system is hard. I was lucky enough to not cycle through very many homes, but I was sexually victimized as a result of my sexuality. I suffered from a lot of internalized homophobia and shame. As far as words of encouragement go, I'll say this; it's okay to keep it to yourself. I k...

As the youngest volunteer, I sometimes feel out of my depth, but I definitely feel like my age helps me to connect better with our users and generally understand their situations better. It's easy for me to empathize with our users because so many of them are so close to my own age, or the age of my...

Hey Skybushh, It's okay to be curious about other relationships while in your own. A lot of people in committed, monogamous relationships wonder about "what ifs" on occasion. What's important in this situation is open communication with your partner, and honesty with yourself. If you're co...

Hello! There's a lot to unpack here, so bear with me. First of all; 1. You are most certainly not a failure for not being able to orgasm. This is normal and can happen for so many reasons- including being too worried about orgasming! It can be really easy to fall into a pit of self depreciation when...

Hi! There is no risk of pregnancy in this situation, because there was no semen present, nor did semen get into the vagina. Check out this link for more information! https://www.scarleteen.com/article/bodi ... _companion

Arghdaq, What you're experiencing is actually fairly common! This could be stemming from a number of things, from issues with commitment or attachment, or it could be sexual orientation. Certain attachment styles can make it hard to be comfortable in a committed relationship. If you'd like to read m...

Ace_Aym, There's no such thing as normal when it comes to sex, especially masturbation. There is no "golden standard" of intercourse, it's a varied thing that looks different for everyone. Taboo things can be arousing to some, and that isn't necessarily a bad thing. As long as you aren't h...

Hey Anne Janne, If you didn't have p/i/v sex, there is no risk of pregnancy. Check out these articles: https://www.scarleteen.com/article/bodies/the_pregnancy_panic_companion https://www.scarleteen.com/article/bodies/can_i_get_pregnant_or_get_or_pass_on_an_sti_from_that Beyond that, changes in your ...

Hey Wanjiee, This is a fairly common problem among people with vaginas. Luckily, there are some relatively reliable ways to help! - First of all, read this article! It covers topics I won't touch on in this comment, but it's all good to know anyway. https://www.scarleteen.com/article/gender/from_ow_...

Hi Osumilite, That's reasonable and common among trauma survivors! It doesn't mean that what you're doing is wrong or bad. Masturbating is a normal part of life, and it's nothing to be ashamed of. To that end, though, if it's something that makes you feel bad it's okay if you just decide not to enga...

Condoms are a little harder to devise alternatives for. Some options could be: latex gloves, but if you use these you will not be able to use any of the aforementioned options for lube because oil-based products will degrade latex. Or you could use something like a plastic bag. But both of these opt...

Hey Terence, Unless your parents have given you reason to believe otherwise, they probably won't have a major problem with you masturbating as they have most definitely done it themselves. The embarrassment is natural and it is definitely present on both sides, but it shouldn't be something that hol...

Hey Osumilite, I know it's been said numerous times but I'll echo it again; I'm sorry you experienced the things you experienced. You talked briefly about specifically feeling guilt about the things you used to watch and engage with, and I wanted to say that none of those things define who you are n...

Hey Juliaho90,

I'm so sorry for the confusion! You and Sam are both right, Yasmin is a combination pill. I was reading from the wrong website, I sincerely apologize for the oversight.

Hey! Unfortunately it's hard to give you a super solid answer here, since it can vary a lot from person to person. The best I can give you is a solid maybe. It could impact your bleeding, or it could not; it depends a lot on your personal hormone levels. For the next 48 hours or so you should avoid ...