Hi littlelovely, and welcome to Scarleteen. I'm sorry to hear you're so stressed about this, but you've taken the right steps to getting answers by going to a clinic. We really can't give you any sort of estimate on how likely it is that you could contract HIV or any other STI, since we don't know t...

This is tough! As time goes on and the kinds of relationships I have change, I often find it hard to differentiate very strongly between the love I feel for friends and what I feel for romantic or sexual partners. When I think about feeling "love" for someone, that's generally tied up in b...

That sounds like a fantastic list. You're actually making me want to lift weights again, it's been a while since I've had access to any weightlifting equipment and I miss it.

I don't know that you can really stop those feelings; it's really common for many people to have periods of their lives where they are very interested in babies and the idea of parenting. In terms of calming them, or redirecting them in a less stressful way, you might find it helpful to seek out som...

I know the first of the year is the traditional time to make big changes and resolutions, but when I was in school and at university, the beginning of the school year always felt like much more of a new start than January 1 did. Some years I'd set specific goals for myself, but other times I just ha...

Hi MusicNerd, I don't know that I have any great insights about forgiveness, because it's something I struggle with sometimes. If someone hurts me in some way, but afterwards expresses remorse and a desire to do better in the future, then it's an easier process, but it's hard for me to set down my a...

This depends on the type of pill you're taking. If you're on a combined oral contraceptive (most commonly prescribed when folks are taking a birth control pill) then one of the ways it works is to prevent ovulation; if you are on the minipill/progestin-only pill, it may help to prevent it but it's n...

This is a tough question! It's also interesting to have this worded as "what would you drop" vs. "what would you add " to make things better. Adding something is maybe more external, and dropping something feels more self-focused (although I can imagine other interpretations). I'...

I wouldn't say that no high school boy can please a female partner, although younger people tend to have had fewer partners and less experience in clear communication during sex, which is a vital part of enjoyment. If you aren't enjoying sex that you're having, I'd certainly encourage you to speak u...

Hi fiarcurrin, and welcome to Scarleteen. :) I think the best way to figure out your sexual orientation is to just give yourself some time to think about it more, and observe the feelings and reactions you have when thinking about or interacting with different people. Sometimes it can be hard to tea...

Irregular bleeding or spotting, nausea, and breast tenderness are all symptoms that some people notice on the pill, especially in the first few months when the body's adjusting to it. So, what you're describing certainly sounds normal for a new pill user.

I can't predict how long this might last or what changes you'll ultimately notice in your breasts; this really is a very individual process and there is literally no way to guess what might happen for you or anyone else taking the pill. All you can do is wait and see.

Attempts to induce a period with herbal supplements really aren't a good idea; it's unlikely to be effective and some people can have negative side effects from herbal supplements. It's safest for your body to just wait it out. However, since you've mentioned your irregular period, I think it's a go...

Many people have sensitive nipples, but it's not universal, so if you don't get a lot of pleasure from nipple stimulation that's normal too, and it doesn't mean there's something wrong with you or with your breasts.

Hi there, Not everyone experiences the same side effects with any medication, so while there are some common ones with birth control pills it's entirely possible for you not to have any. There's really no way to know if you'll experience any, or when it might happen if you do. The presence or absenc...

As you say, it's always a good idea to refer to your pill insert first as it will have a lot of good information on situations like this. If I understand correctly, you missed two pills (Saturday and Sunday) and then started your new pack as normal on Monday? Once you've missed two pills you are exp...

Hi Lanakins, A "clean catch" test is commonly used for UTI testing; the idea behind it is that it keeps any bacteria that might be on your skin from being flushed out by your initial urination and contaminating in the sample. It might give you a false positive, but it sounds like nothing s...

Just like with any kind of sex, different people like different things during oral sex so we can't tell you what will feel best to your girlfriend. I think the best way to approach this is to talk with her about what feels good, try what she suggests or what sounds good to you, and then listen to th...

Yep, that's really the only thing to do at this point; sometimes periods are late, as that link Taylor posted discusses, for reasons we can't necessarily know at the time. You have the negative test results so you can know that whatever the reason is, pregnancy's been ruled out.

Hi raven, Here are some articles on our site that are a good place to start: Hello, Sailor! How to Build, Board and Navigate a Healthy Relationship Does Your Relationship Need a Checkup? One thing that might also be helpful to read is this column on the always-rad Captain awkward site, about "g...

In terms of anything having to do with reporting this, going to court, etc. it all depends on the laws in a particular place. In general, though, crimes committed in a particular city/jurisdiction are handled in that same place. What you could do is call the number Karyn posted in her response and t...

About the plan b - you may have spent your money on something other than what your mom intended, but I think this is a situation where she'd rather have you be safe then use the money in the way she imagined, you know? If you got lost and had to take a taxi somewhere, or got stuck in a rainstorm and...

Hi there, I'm so sorry your sister's bf chose to assault you, especially at a time when you're away from home and your normal support system. None of this is your fault, and as Karyn said your safety is the most important thing here. I do think that it would be a good idea to talk to your sister abo...

I know you mentioned reading a bunch of our articles, but if you haven't seen this one yet, I think it speaks most directly to your question: Have a Little Faith in BC We do recommend that folks taking birth control pills back up with condoms, especially if they find themselves worrying about pregna...

When I had my first sexual relationship, it was with someone who'd had a few partners and sexual relationships before, and it came up pretty early on that he expected intercourse at some point and thought it "standard" for a relationship. It wasn't something I wanted at the time, and at th...