Like Heather said, starting, stopping, or starting + stopping hormonal birth control can cause changes to the menstrual cycle for a few months. Mild cramping for one day during your period - whether that's more or less cramping than usual - is no cause for concern, as a bit of variation happens anyw...

Sunshine says some great things here, so I only have one extra thing to say :) That's to address the point about "most gay people say something like ...", because I don't think it's actually true. I know it's a narrative that we hear in the world pretty frequently, but it's absolutely not ...

Hi there, Dandelion. I'm glad your friend was able to respond in a way that was caring and felt at least somewhat positive to you. It's pretty common for people who've been abused to feel isolated, and/or to deliberately isolate ourselves. I know I've done that at various points in my own life, for ...

I can clarify most of this for you, and then if you still feel like there are little gaps in what you want to know, I'm sure someone who's super-on-the-ball with current studies and scientific knowledge can add on later when they're available :) Contraceptive effectiveness studies are done by observ...

I'd add that "teen" porn does not necessarily mean underage minors. In fact, it's much more likely to involve only people 18+ and therefore be perfectly legal. Again, as Heather said, the only things to be concerned about with child pornography are either pornography involving anyone under...

Just adding to what Johanna said, to make sure everything's clear: I think when you said "conceive" above, you were referring to the fertilisation of an egg, right? Conception is actually the process of becoming pregnant, when the fertilised egg implants in the uterine wall. (I know some p...

A little mid-cycle bleeding or spotting is a common side-effect of the pill, especially during the first few months of taking it while your body is still adjusting. So, what you're describing isn't any cause for concern. Of course, it's good to make sure you're current with your STI testing, so you ...

Hi, bigbywolf - sorry you've had a wait on this! I'm sorry you're finding things so tough at the moment, and I think seeing a counsellor is a really good, smart move on your part. Big props for taking care of yourself. With everything else you're wrestling with right now, I wonder if it might be bet...

We reply to posts as soon as we have a staff member available who is able to answer: we're not staffed 24/7. Altering the tone isn't going to get anyone an answer any faster. Too, doing that with the intention that we'd respond differently is a form of manipulation, and we're not okay with that. Ple...

We can't really predict which tests a doctor will want to do because we're not doctors :) If you feel like you won't be able to tell the doctor everything that you want to tell them, I'd put in a strong vote for trying to speak with the doctor without your mom in the room. If that's a thing you want...

No, contraceptive effectiveness isn't impacted by skipping the placebo break. Getting some breakthrough bleeding or spotting is also not a concern per effectiveness.

You're very welcome, and thanks so much for that! If there's anything else you need, we're happy to be here

I see you already have an account with us: we do ask that users have just one account. If something happens and you lock yourself out of your password and connected email, that's fine, but we do ask that users let us know that. So, can you let us know which account you want to keep active? Really, h...

It doesn't matter if it was just a little way in: the tissue around your genitals and just inside your vagina is delicate, and can be scraped and scratched by rough treatment. If you were in pain, chances are high that it was causing you a small injury, which would explain the bleeding. You also sai...

Sounds like a lot of that information you've been looking at is incorrect and unhelpful. When condoms are used and stored correctly, breakages are actually very rare. Condoms are also designed not to leak, and they undergo strict quality control. For information about correct condom usage and storag...

Welcome to the boards, margaloves. (The same people read and answer all the boards at Scarleteen, so you only need to ask a question once, on one board.) In Diane 35, all the active pills - so, all 21 pills - are the same. That means it's fine to start with any pill. Scarleteen recommends finishing ...

The notion that orgasm, by definition, feels amazing: it's a myth. There's a big range of how orgasms can feel, and at one end of that range is very definitely "like not very much at all". So, you might be having orgasms that just don't feel like that big a deal, and there's nothing odd or...

I don't, no. His behaviour has been consistently manipulative both when you were in a relationship and after you've broken up. When someone's so manipulative, they almost never change that, and especially not towards someone they've already behaved like that to. He seems very committed to staying as...

Yes, you have that absolutely right: manual sex (that is, hand-to-genital contact, like you described) is not how pregnancy happens. Pregnancy is only a concern if there is direct genital-to-genital contact, or ejaculation onto the genitals. If he'd never been sexually active before, the chance of h...

I'm very glad to be able to help. I think you say so very much indeed in the few words "I can't do more than I've already done". Sometimes, that can be the only truth we need, and the only one that matters. Do you need any help with the not-communicating part, or anything else around this?

I confess I am always really baffled when people - usually older adults - claim that young people don't understand or don't feel "love" or "real love". I'll try to tread at least a little lightly here, as I'm no longer a young person, but this is still personally meaningful to me...

It sounds like your doctor has suggested that you take the pill in a non-standard way, so questions about how you should take it are best taken to that doctor. We can give information on standard contraceptive usage, but someone's doctor will always have the best information - full medical records! ...

Hi, NClady. I'm really sorry you're going through this - that someone you care about has and is behaving so poorly to you, and is Determined To Be Stuck. I think it's worth remembering that it's usually much more difficult to let something go when it's something that we've been invested in for a lon...

Welcome to the boards, kira :) Did the doctor look at your genitals? If they looked and were not concerned, then this is unlikely to be a health issue, especially as you aren't reporting pain or discomfort. It's very common for one side of the labia to look a little different to the other - to be a ...

(crossed with Heather while writing this, but we're saying some different things, so I think you can usefully have both of us :) ) It's especially common for people who were assaulted at a young age to come back round to it a few years later and feel like there's some stuff from it we've got stuck w...