Hey Bowler! I want to share some ideas that might help you understand a bit of how your body is feeling during masturbation currently, and may in turn give you some ideas on what might make masturbation feel more pleasurable. Sexual pleasure is multivariate: Your mindset, the thoughts going though g...

Thank you for providing those details! Taking two tests with negative results is also an excellent indication that you are not pregnant. And you’re right, that is a bit late for implantation bleeding. How are you feeling now about all of this? I forgot to send this earlier, but we have this great re...

Hey Bobbie, I’m glad to hear your boyfriend has always been respectful of your boundaries and that you don’t recall anything concerning. I’m wondering, though, why you’re concerned about this in particular. Do you get worried by things like this easily, or do you want to talk a bit about where this ...

Hey Nadia, It can certainly be even harder to accept that someone isn’t meaningfully in your life anymore when they’re still there in some capacity, especially when they text you at night. I know how difficult it can be, and how tempting it is to think about them possibly coming back with that type ...

You’re welcome, you stay awesome too!

You are welcome! I hear you that there’s some days that you’re a little harder on yourself. On those days, is there anything different going on that might be related to being harder on yourself? If you can identify some triggers, that might be a helpful topic to bring up in therapy, as they may be a...

Hey Brian, What a wonderful update! I agree with you, I think you’re okay, and even more so because it sounds like you have an ongoing dialogue with your partner about this. All good things! I AM very glad to hear that your anxiety management is improving! These are such excellent suggestions from y...

Hey there AtEquilibrium, and welcome to the boards. :) When folks say that vaginal entry shouldn’t be painful, they’re right in that if you’re feeling pain you should stop. But truly, there are no “should”s when it comes to your first time having sex. The first time can be so different for everyone ...

Hey there Adorableadora, and welcome to the boards :) Yes, that is a good indication that the Plan B did its job — too, it sounds like you had a period since, which is another indication that you’re not pregnant. Plan B can impact the consistency and amount of bleeding in your periods, so this is al...

Hey there Midnight Rain, and welcome to the boards! No worries, you are not confusing. :) I understand how learning how to masturbate and learning what feels good can be confusing itself, especially when you see other people feel good from direct touching but it hasn’t felt good for you. I want you ...

Hey Brian, I have a direct answer for you about oral sex and STI risk, but I also want to check in more generally about how your anxiety and therapy have been going. How does that sound? To answer your question: Oral sex without any sort of barrier protection does pose a moderate risk to STIs. Urina...

Hey there Vivi_valentine, Washing your hands with any soap and water will kill sperm — it doesn’t have to be any specific kind of soap, just any soap will do the trick — that’s because sperm cells are SO fragile, they will die super quickly when exposed to the air, to temperatures hotter or colder t...

Hey Sandrah, I totally hear you on this — some days, it’s just a little harder to get yourself out of the reassurance-seeking loop. It’s okay to have these more difficult days, too; progress towards anxiety management is not linear, you can have a little blip and still be on your way towards feeling...

Hey there iloveeveryone! It’s totally okay if the topic of your post shifts — this is an important development to talk about, and I’m glad you feel comfortable doing so here. :) It sounds like you’re thinking more about your own mental health possibly being impacted by your relationship with your fr...

Hey there Annatea, and welcome to the boards :) I’m sorry to hear you’re worried about this! It sounds like you know you can’t be pregnant, but your anxiety is persisting. We’re happy to talk with you and see if we can help you identify some of the deeper anxieties here. But we do find that it’s not...

Hey there Lucy, Persistent sexual dysfunction can occur after stopping Zoloft, though you’re right that it is rare. When deciding whether or not to take it, it’s important to consider side effects, but it can help to look at it as weighing the pros and the cons. So, while a con is the potential for ...

You know, I think that’s really wise to avoid activities that pose a risk, or activities that trigger your pregnancy anxiety. After all, having sex is a decision you make based on your comfort with the situation and its risks; and if you truly aren’t comfortable with the risks, it’s okay not do to i...

Hi Sandrah, I am glad you feel comfortable talking about this here! We are glad to be able to help. :) I’m sorry to hear that you’re struggling with anxiety more generally. The “what ifs” of pregnancy risk can be scary when they pop up, and distressing when they become a more constant anxiety. It so...

Thank you for providing those details! It sounds like you have plans for your future and that you can’t risk pregnancy right now. Remember that you have control over the future you’re building, and that includes control of your body. If you don’t want to become pregnant, there are steps you can take...

I’m glad that helped you feel a bit better! I totally hear you on the “what if I am actually pregnant” feeling — it sounds like the thought of pregnancy brings up some scary thoughts and feelings. Do you want to talk about what thoughts or concerns come up when you have pregnancy fears? When you’re ...

Hey there PomPom, I’m so glad you feel comfortable opening up about this here. You’re not wrong or messed up for having these very real and multifaceted feelings about your mom. Noticing this dynamic with your mother, seeing that she suffers with her own feeling towards her body, that she is a perso...

Hey there Claire, I’m sorry to hear you’re feeling anxious about this again, I know it’s such a crappy feeling when you’re anxious and the internet gives you more info to be anxious about. It can be so hard not to google your symptoms when you’re feeling this way, but do know that some sources give ...

Hey there Sandrah, I hope it’s ok I’m popping in here. I’m sorry to hear you’ve been struggling a lot with anxiety, and that it’s been popping up with pregnancy fears specifically. Anxiety is one of those sneaky things that can latch onto concrete aspects of life, like sex and pregnancy risk — it’s ...

Hi! No worries at all— you can reply whenever you’d like to. If you have any questions or thoughts as you look through the articles, we’d be happy to help.

Hey there Sarxzer, I am so glad that Ro helped you feel better about this, and I hope it’s ok that I’m popping in again. :) It sounds like you’re wanting more physical sensation while masturbating, and are interested in learning how to change up your routine! I want to reiterate what Ro said, too: i...