Hey Hel, I'm glad that you're here and talking about these feelings! I wanted to ask - has your boyfriend given you feedback about being "needy", or is this just based on your own judgement? The reason that I ask is that how frequently/how you communicate in your relationship should hopefu...

Hi there LovelyEvaline, and welcome to Scarleteen! I'm sorry to hear that you've been struggling to feel much when masturbating. I wish I had an easy answer for you, but unfortunately there are a lot of different aspects to masturbation and self-pleasure that are a little more complicated than just ...

Hi Amthyst, I'm sorry to hear that your mom's behavior has been getting on your nerves. It sounds like she's dealing with a lot as a result of COVID, and that maybe her fuse is a bit shorter for feeling angry and frustrated. I'm glad that you can see the stress that she's experiencing and coping wit...

Hey Amethyst, I'm sorry to hear that you've had people commenting on your body in that way (whether or not they meant it as a compliment). I know that some people really like getting complimented overtly on their physical features, but for folks who are questioning their gender identities/bodies/sex...

Hi there user2298, and welcome to Scarleteen! There are lots of things that I want to touch on here, but the very first thing I wanted to say is that it's absolutely normal for two young people in a partnership to not have sex for a couple of weeks. You're right in that there are a lot of expectatio...

Hey digdawg, I'm sorry to hear that you're feeling this way- I can imagine it's hard to focus on what you need to and take care of yourself. I hear what you're saying about hesitating to get a pregnancy test for fear of a positive result; I know that anxiety doesn't always follow logical trains of t...

Being a person can be tough and lonely sometimes, but especially now. I'm feeling some of that loneliness and wondering - what do you like to do for yourself when you're feeling lonely? Do you reach out to people, or take care of your body, or do something else? Would love to hear what you're doing ...

Hi there wildmarshmallow, and welcome to Scarleteen! Congrats on the new date! I'm sorry to hear that the things he's saying make you feel uncomfy. I think it's totally understandable that you're not quite ready to be sexual with him after just 5 days (or any amount of days - your own readiness and ...

Hi there girlplayer34, and welcome to Scarleteen! I'm so happy that you asked this question, because it has an easy answer: there is no age limit for having sex! There are lots of people who don't have sex until their 20s, and 30s, and beyond! There are even some people who choose not to have sex th...

Hi cody2323, It sounds like the brown discharge started a few days before you were due to take your placebo pills. If so, you're most likely experiencing discharge earlier than expected before your period. Menstrual cycles don't run like clockwork - things like stress, missing a pill or taking it to...

You're welcome! I'm glad to hear that you're backing up your BC with condoms just in case. That's about as effective as pregnancy prevention gets! In general, we like to recommend to folks to stay away from the internet if they're feeling anxious or worried about sexual health topics, because a lot ...

Hi there fivefootzero, I'm sorry to hear that masturbation has felt boring. Have you tried experimenting with different methods, or maybe tried fantasizing about something or looking at erotic media about something different than what you usually do? I also wanted to add in - this is a pretty common...

Hi pinkcities, I'm so glad to hear that!! The baby steps are so important, and communication makes all the difference. :) I wanted to add that the comfort with ourselves and our bodies' quirks that you're working towards is also something that we're constantly developing and growing with time, diffe...

Hi there teeny18, and welcome to Scarleteen! Well first of all, I'm glad to hear that you haven't experienced anything traumatic that made you feel this way. To dig into it a bit more - what kinds of thoughts come up for you before you go to masturbate or as those gross feelings come up? Are you thi...

Hi there Alester, and welcome to Scarleteen! Yep, you can be sure that if you have a period on the week that you're not taking pills (or taking the blank pills), that you're not pregnant! The lack of hormones created when your body becomes pregnant is the thing that starts period or withdrawal bleed...

Hi there Meggyd18, Usually, irregularities in bowel movements aren't a significant factor that interferes with birth control unless they can be classified as diarrhea (essentially pooping out watery liquid) because that means that the body hasn't digested what was put into it properly. That's someth...

Hi Cosmakat, If there's nothing else that feels off or fits the "abnormal" descriptors in that article, then it's possible what you're experiencing is just what your body feels it needs to keep itself healthy at the moment. The vagina really does have a pretty effective self-cleaning cycle...

Hi there Digdawg, Since you've taken your oral contraceptive consistently, and it seems like the condom was used correctly, your relative risk is indeed pretty low. You can compare the effectiveness rate with other BC combos over at The Buddy System: Effectiveness Rates for Backing Up Your Birth Con...

Hi bananakate, I totally get feeling nervous about being vulnerable or talking about "serious" stuff when that isn't something that happens a lot. One thing that I find helpful is thinking through what I might say, which you're welcome to do here. What would it be like to ask him to talk f...

Hi KindaStrange, I'm glad to hear that you're focusing on friends first! That's usually the best thing for people feeling lonely or isolated from their peers - bonding over shared activities (like art!). How do you feel about the prospect of making new friends? Does that feel easy, or is it somethin...

Hi there Letmebe, Thanks for checking in - I can't say for sure why you're experiencing the gastrointestinal distress (as I like to call it). But it's not an unusual experience for people who have gone through a surgical procedure to feel a little "off" during the weeks afterwards. Your bo...

Hi hann,

Have you ever tried using something other than your hands, like a vibrator or DIY sex toy?

I loved the essays by those writers. Difficult on my heart to read, but so important. Has anyone been able to find anything specifically for non-Black people of color? I haven't quite had the time to look around for good ones that explore anti-Blackness in non-white communities.

Hi Letmebe, I'm so, so glad that you had a positive experience with the clinic staff. Feeling like you're in charge of what happens with your body and that the providers are there to take care of you is something that you deserve every time you're in the office, but especially for abortion procedure...

Due to the hyper-visibility of systemic and interpersonal violence against Black people that is being widely protested and debated across the nation, we want to offer a space for Black users to vent, reflect, and support each other here. We here at Scarleteen want to acknowledge the emotional burden...