Scarleteen

For those of you who do not know me, I am a 21 year-old Arab young adult, a student of Computer Science (next year is my last year!! Wish me luck!!), and I come from the very difficult Israeli-Arab community, and I am not ashamed to say that.

In the past few months, like any young adult would, I've came across some severe worries and fears rising up from sex.
It is so forbidden in my community to the point where they can kill, or be very violent.

Little did I know this about myself: I am sex-ed less. Very!!! sex-ed less.
I thought about it, but most people in my community have never, ever had correct sex-ed. Thus, we never know the correct risks. What makes pregnancy, what doesn't. What should we look for in a relationship that includes sexual activities, and what we should refrain from.

Even to the point that we did not know what causes periods. (Yes! That severe!)

That included me also. Even though I am on the verge of finishing a B.Sc. in Computer Science, I did not know even why periods happen. What's the difference between a virgin and not a virgin, or what and how many sperm get ejaculated. What is the vulva and what is the vagina, what is the uterus and what are fallopian tubes. What is ovulation and what are the chances of pregnancy, or when are women fertile and when they aren't. What pregnancy symptoms are, and what are just normal body changes.

We just, did not get enough sex-ed.

Then, a pregnancy scare came on (There was no need anyway, but since I am sex-ed less, I just didn't know where I was standing).

Then, I discovered Scarleteen.
I've read almost every article. I've read the articles about risk-free activies, medium-risk activities, and high-risk activities. I've read the articles about mensutration, about periods, about the anatomy, what makes what, what is responsible for what, what are hormones responsible for, what happens here and there, and just way, way more.

The amount of information I got, and the amount of specialized answers and feedback, are priceless.

Better yet? all of this is for free.

I can now proudly stand and say, Scarleteen was the reason I am full of sex-ed. I am responsible now. I know what I should and what I sohuld not do.

And that doesn't only stand about sex. It also stands about community, relationships and connections in general. You get advice from amazingly-knowing people. You get advice from people who really want you to know, who really want change, who really do care for you.


So here I am. I owe my ed to Scarleteen, and its' amazing members and staff. When I get engaged to my girlfriend (planning so in the next two years), and when the time will come and I will have children of my own, hopefully Scarleteen would be still standing, and I will sit down with them, and read the articles with them.

So, for each and every one of the staff of scarleteen:

THANK YOU TONS!

Morad, thank you so much for your kind words, and we're so glad to hear that you've found our site helpful and welcoming!

MoradM, I just want to say how much this post moved me.

Although I grew up and currently live in a fairly liberal country, and I cannot imagine what it is like to live somewhere where sex education is frowned upon, I understand how it feels to have little or no information. Sex ed was not spoken about in my house, and when sex was talked about, it always had marriage attached to it. my mum is very religious, and I felt oppressed and still do, a bit. I think that is partly why I had such a hard time when I started to be sexual and be in a relationship, the anxiety and fear and guilt was almost too much to bear.
I am just glad that I found scarleteen, where I got non-judgemental and accurate information. in fact, I was talking to my mum the other day about contraception after hearing something on the radio. she said to me: "for example, I wouldn't take emergency contraception because it would cause an abortion". this statement, when I heard it, just....wow.
I was bowled over and, it actually made me really upset that she was so in the dark about EC. im just glad I came here to get accurate, medically correct advice, rather than believe something like that from my mum, a 50 year old woman, who you would think after three children would know accurate facts about contraception.

So, I'd like to take this opportunity to thank you all, too, for all you do. The world needs more people like the scarleteam.