Glad we could be here as a place for you to talk about all this! :) If it helps at all, you aren't at all alone in having this frustration. We get a lot of folks here who struggle to feel pleasure during masturbation, and it's something that I think people can feel really isolated about as it isn't ...

Weird! The fact that this isn't a peer-reviewed study makes me a little concerned (as does the fact that major news outlets very very rarely represent the results of studies in a factual or reasonable way and tend towards sensationalist headlines). I am really not sure that it makes sense to use tha...

I don't have a subscription so can't see past the paywall, but it sounds like what the article is stating is that it isn't that birth control methods themselves become less effective, but that people become more lax with keeping up with those methods over time. "Typical use" covers all the...

It's so hard when you want to help a partner or other loved one and there isn't much you can do. :( It sounds like what you're doing now, being affirming and offering distractions when you can, is all the right stuff to be doing! I can definitely understand why this would feel scary and upsetting fo...

Well, I think there's an important line to draw between intense feelings and obsessive ones. You can have very strong feelings for someone and think about them all the time without that being unhealthy; however, it certainly can get to a point where it's unhealthy. I'm hesitant to lay out some speci...

Here's that lube article: Lube 101: A Slick Little primer. Hopefully that's helpful!

Also, I think it's great that you're recognizing that continuing to take pregnancy tests might do more harm than good. It does sound like avoiding another test for now is a good idea!

Here's a link to our basic guide for condom use, which goes over proper usage and storage procedure: Condom Basics: A User's Manual. Using and storing condoms properly will make it much less likely for one to break in the future.

It's so frustrating when products are behind doors like that! I can really understand why you might not feel comfortable asking someone to unlock it for you, but you're certainly allowed to do so and if an employee were to give you a hard time or ask you why you need it, that would be really inappro...

Hi there Cocopops, welcome to Scarleteen. It sounds like the bleeding you're noticing is pretty light now, mostly just spotting, and if that's the case I think it's okay to hold off on seeing a doctor for now. I'd advise that you not engage in any sexual activity until well after the bleeding's stop...

Hopefully, the doctor you have a referral to can answer some of your HRT questions. Going in for an appointment definitely doesn't mean you must start HRT, or that you have to do so right away, but it may help clarify some things for you. We do also have an article with some information on that here...

It sounds like you weren't feeling very aroused when you tried inserting your finger, which I think may have been part of why you were having some difficulty with it. Any sort of vaginal entry (whether that's with a finger, a partner's penis, or a toy) is going to be much easier and more comfortable...

Oh gosh, I don't know what was in the policies you had to sign, and there may have been something in there that said she could discuss what you said in a session with other people, but if that's the case I don't think it was ethical to go ahead with the session without verbally discussing it with yo...

What you're experiencing isn't unusual; some folks do find that they get oversensitive after some clitoral stimulation. Less direct contact is often something we'll recommend here; it sounds like that isn't really working but it could be worth continuing to experiment with. I don't know if you're al...

It's hard to know exactly what that feeling meant, but sometimes it does indeed indicate a need to urinate, especially if you're going into sex with a full bladder. One way to be less worried about urinating during sex is to be sure you pee right beforehand! It's going to be pretty unlikely to occur...

I've never been one for official "resolutions" for the new year, but I do find it helpful to give myself a little time for reflection at the beginning of a year and set some general goals or intentions for the months ahead. For 2023, I'm hoping to focus on my photography hobby a bit more s...

I know this time of year can make family difficulties a lot more stressful. There can be a lot of pressure to do everything the "right" way, or take part in traditions you don't enjoy or feel connected to because that's just the way things are, etc. It can add a lot of strain on relationsh...

Hi there, welcome to Scarleteen! I'm glad our article on first pap smears was helpful to read! Hopefully it will go smoothly for you. :) These exams are very clinical in tone, so it's very likely that you won't experience any arousal, but if you do find yourself feeling aroused, that doesn't mean yo...

So, I do want to gently push back on the idea of something being "just touching" and not sex. Sex encompasses so many things; often times people consider intercourse to be "real" sex and everything else to be just foreplay or something else, but that really isn't sound. Plenty of...

If it helps to hear from someone who did reconnect with someone after a "I really can't focus on dating right now and it isn't fair to you to string you along, so even though I do like you a lot I need to break up with you" conversation, I'm happy to share how that went down for me. I was ...

It really does sound like you're in a place where the support you're getting isn't quite enough or what you need, and I can see how this would be really difficult for you! I don't know if this is something you've looked into or considered, but I wonder if a therapist who focuses on autistic patients...

I just meant to indicate that it was something he seems to have intended as teasing that didn't land that way for you, sorry it was unclear.

You know, while teasing is okay and even fun in some relationships, it's okay if you don't like it! It doesn't have to be part of any relationship, and it isn't weird or wrong of you to not enjoy it. I know that early on in my relationship with my partner, they teased me about a few things I was ver...

I don't know if this is helpful, but something that I have found comforting, at least, is talking with partners or close friends who have those same sorts of fears, that if people saw the worst parts of them they'd be turned off and not interested. And of course my reaction to those people is to thi...

I will say, too, that even if the therapist doesn't specialize in sexuality-related issues, she still may have some thoughts about dealing with intrusive thoughts in general that would apply to your situation.

If you followed the instructions for the earlier test, you can trust those results (the initial results, not what you saw when you went back to look hours later). You can take another test if you think it would be helpful, but it's good to keep in mind that sometimes people find that taking addition...