You're so welcome, I'm glad you're feeling a little better.

Yes, charisma is often a common characteristic of folks like this! I didn't mention it in my comment above but my toxic friend was charismatic and was, in many ways, a supportive and positive person in my life. I do think those positive attributes made it a lot harder to see the negative ones. I'm g...

MusicNerd, I'm really sorry to hear that. I've definitely had to cut someone out of my life when I realized my friendship with her was toxic, and while she hasn't made any attempts to sabotage friendships I've had to deflect some recent attempts to re-connect and it's upsetting and anxiety-inducing ...

One thing that might help you, in making this decision, is to check out this article: Ready or Not? The Scarleteen Sex Readiness Checklist It's something you could even look at with your boyfriend as you make sure you're both on the same page about things like safer sex, birth control, and the avail...

Hi shandan, and welcome to Scarleteen! From what you've said here, that you know you are attracted to guys and are starting to notice attraction to girls as well, then bisexuality might be a good label for you - but it's really up to you how you feel comfortable identifying. It's fine to be unsure o...

The best authority on proper use of the pill is definitely the pamphlet that comes with it. You do want to take it as close to the same time as possible, but the pamphlet is right - you have three hours until it's considered late. If you want additional protection that's more reliable than the withd...

Well, not everyone enjoys the same things in a sexual relationship; he might have experience with previous partners but that doesn't mean that he knows what you like. And if you'd been with other people before there's no guarantee that their preferences would align with your current partner's. Build...

Hi Brooke, Do you have a sense of what, specifically, you might be nervous about? Are you worried about communication with your partner? Finding privacy? Figuring out what feels good for you and a partner during sex or other intimate activities? Approaches to dealing with your worries might depend o...

It's likely that you aren't feeling the string either because of the curving your nurse mentioned, or because her explanation didn't explain the process of checking as much as the physical demonstration would have. I'd give it another day or two of trying on your own, and if you still can't feel the...

It's not uncommon for relationships to transition sometimes; just as people move from friends to lovers, they can also move from lovers to friends. It doesn't mean there's anything wrong with either person, but people change and their feelings can change too, and that's ok. I want to point out, too,...

Ithink one of the BIG things about flirting is that different folks have really different takes on it. There's definitely not one approach to flirting that everyone will 1) be receptive to and 2) even notice in the first place. Honestly, one of the biggest comments I hear about flirting from people ...

That sounds really uncomfortable, what a bummer. :( Sadly this is the sort of thing we just can't diagnose, or even guess at; it really takes a doctor observing your symptoms and running tests to have a sense of what you're dealing with. Without any previous sexual partners the risk of STDs/STIs is ...

Also, if you want to do some reading on your own to have an idea of other birth control options before you talk to a doctor, you can start here: Birth Control Bingo!

Hi there, In terms of how to handle issues of your prescription and the possibility of trying other doses or methods, the best person to answer those questions will be your doctor. Most doctors are fine with writing prescriptions so that people always have a backup pack to take pills from if needed....

Your body's reactions to the stress of travel and your adjustment to a different time zone, two times in the course of a month, could absolutely impact your cycle and be part of the reason why it's late. There really isn't a way for you to know for sure if that or something else is causing it, thoug...

Hi kuraimuin, and welcome to the message boards. :) I'm sorry this sexual encounter has turned out to be so stressful for you. It sounds like something that felt ok in the moment, but it's not always possible to tell, beforehand, how you'll feel about a certain kind of sexual experience once it's ov...

That's great that your new relationship is going well so far. :) It sounds like your girlfriend is pretty clear about her attraction to you, and to other folks with larger/plus-sized bodies. I know it can be really tough to internalize the reality of that, especially since body-negative, fatphobic m...

It's good to hear that the bleeding's stopped!

I think worries about an imbalance of affection might be a sign of an issue in a relationship but could also be a sign that there's a problem with communication styles that can be smoothed over with some honest discussion. When I've had a feeling like this in a relationship, my response has been to ...

We can't say it's impossible to ovulate when on the pill, but ovulation when you're taking it according to directions is very rare. Breast pain and cramping can be related to other causes than ovulation, too, so I wouldn't take those as signs of it. There's no real way to know for sure, but statisti...

You're welcome! I'm glad that helped.

Long-distance relationships have their own challenges, in terms of when and how often to communicate, how often visits are possible (or if they're possible at all), and how to feel fully engaged in someone else's life when you can't be present in the day-to-day. But they can be just as rewarding as ...

While many people find that being on birth control pills lessens cramps, you can still have some cramping on birth control, as well as spotting; those are common side effects. When you're on hormonal birth control, instead of a period you have what's called a withdrawal bleed; it will often come reg...

Since you're on the pill already, as long as you've been taking it like directed there's no need for you to take EC as well; it's not going to do anything your pill isn't doing already. Taking it as well won't give you extra protection.

I'm sorry you're having these feelings about your body. I agree that getting help is a good idea, especially since it sounds like this is really impacting your mental health right now. If you're able to access counseling or therapy, that's a good place to start so that you can address your feelings ...