Scarleteen

Hi,

First of all i would thank scarleteen for providing the best sex ed.
Being a biology student, i was always confident having a good sex ed until i had a pregnancy scare and i ended up in quora and other websites that made my scare more worse. Mentally i was not totally doing good and i was depressed. Thankfully i came across scarleteen at the right time and yes i am doing much better than before.

The place from where i am, it is a kind of taboo to get help from a mental health expert or go to a GYN to take advice and knowledge and also we dont have much library access. So whatever improvement i had, it was because of your articles.

So i am requesting you to provide me names of some good books from where i can improve my knowledge on reproduction and pregnancy.
Kindly help me out as it will help me make good sex choices.

Hi there Somesh, I'm sorry that you struggled with depression through that scare, but glad to hear that our articles were able to assist. Before getting into some book recommendations, I will post some of our in-depth articles on pregnancy here, in case you haven't read those yet or would like to refresh your knowledge with them:

• Human Reproduction: A Seafarer's Guide
• Can I Get Pregnant, or Get or Pass On an STI From That?
• Innies & Outies: The Vagina, Clitoris, Uterus and More
• Innies & Outies: The Penis, Testes and More
• Reading through the articles in the bodies and sexual health sections, some of the great primers are also on the later pages as they were written first.

In terms of books, here are some options:

• Scarleteen's founder, Heather Corinna, wrote s.e.x.: the All-You-Need-to-Know Sexuality Guide to Get You Through Your Teens and Twenties .
• We also have big list of great books on a variety of sex and sexuality topics here: Start Your Sexuality Canon

In addition to topics specifically about reproduction and pregnancy, I encourage you to read about communication, relationships, pleasure, and about gender identities and sexualities different your own. This can be a really great way to learn more about the world and have a more comprehensive understanding about sex, and sexuality and other people you may meet, including people you may want to date and/or engage in a sexual relationship with at some point.

I hope these are useful, and encourage you to come back here to the boards with any questions or curiousities that arise as you learn from these resources

Thank you Elise

They are a lot of book and I will definitely read some of them . First i will get a hand on the book by Heather. And I think I have read most of the articles posted here. Yet I will give them a read again.

My priority is my mental health. I need to bring it back on track. And without an expert, it's very difficult. Anyway I hope I will succeed.

Thank you again.

With love,
From India

I hope you find the book helpful and informative!

Since you're prioritizing your mental health, I do want to point you towards some of the resources here: Anxiety and Other Mental Health Resources. The helpline would give you a place to find interim support while you look for more formal mental healthcare, and may also be able to help you navigate that process. There are also some self-help resources that you can draw upon listed towards the bottom of the page.

I have just started reading "The Mindful way through Anxiety". I hope it will help.

I never thought misinformation can do this much damage. My mind is just not ready to accept the facts.

It is affecting my relationship. I have gone into complete sexual abstinence. I always had just manual sex and even though i know pregnancy does not happen this way, i am now scared of doing this also.

I have become paranoid. I am doubting my gf. She always washes her hand after a handjob, that too infront of me but the insect in my head says me what if she hasn't washed her hand properly or what if after washing, she touches herself down there.
If i am not wrong, i know pregnancy cannot happen this way at all.

But no level of assurance is working.

Hi Somesh,

That sounds really stressful, although the fact you're recognising that your worries are based on misinformation rather than facts is a good first step. I hope that the book offers you some help. Have you thought about reaching out for professional support too - is that something that might be available to you?

Hi,

1st of all, the place where i am staying i really doubt there will be any good mental health expert available. Even if there is someone available in a metro city, my finances cannot support.

2nd, going to a psychiatrist is a serious taboo where i am staying. In case anyone comes to know, my whole family reputation will be ruined. I am scared to take such a big risk.

Hello Somesh!

I completely understand where you're coming from. Luckily, there are good telehealth services available in our country, and many of them are free. Here's a short list, in order of preference:-

1) iCALL Helpline is a free helpline and chat counselling service run by the School of Human Ecology at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) in Mumbai. They also have a lovely long list of other mental help resources and counselling services, which you can find here:
https://icallhelpline.org/resources/. A friend of mine used to work for this helpline, and I would highly recommend them for short-term support.

2) Therapy in India is a database that helps you find a therapist near you, many of whom will be open to virtual sessions.

3) This very comprehensive list of mental health practitioners for young adults at nominal fees/sliding rates/free is another good resource. Most of the practitioners listed in this document offer both virtual and in-person sessions.

4) iCALL's crowdsourced list of trustworthy mental health professionals has a good deal of pertinent information about each professional listed.

Hope you find something here that works for you.