About the Sexperts

The Regulars

CJ has an M.Ed in Human Sexuality Education and is pursuing his doctorate in the same subject area. Currently working at an LGBT health center, CJ previously was a domestic violence and sexual assault educator in upstate NY. CJ works with HIV+ individuals and also works closely with queer and trans clients coming in to the health center. As a sexuality educator and a transgender male, CJ is passionate about breaking down barriers that make it more challenging for queer, trans, and/or HIV+ folks to get the skilled and compassionate care they need and deserve. When not at school or at work CJ is often baking, reading Martha Stewart Living, knitting, or riding his bike around the neighborhood...but usually not all of those things at the same time.


What's a Sexpert? A sex "expert." Expert isn't our fave term ever, which is why it's got those bunny ears around it. But we like the idea that every single person can be the sexpert of themselves with information and support, so we stick with the term. You can see on this page that each of us has our own different kinds of expertise, and that that varies a good deal. So, or the purpose of Sexpert Advice, it's someone who chooses to answer a given question or questions they feel capable of answering, based on our own expertise, experience and field of work and study, or after talking to others who have some more to add, and because we want to answer your question. If you'd like to ask a question of one of us specifically, you can leave a note identifying whom in your question, and we'll do our best to get it answered by that person.

Cory is an AASECT certified sexuality educator, author, media consultant, and was a founding member of Come As You Are, the world's only cooperatively run sex shop. He received his masters of education from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at U of T and is the co-author of the Ultimate Guide to Sex and Disability. He is the Sexuality Guide for About.com where he writes about sexual politics, education, culture, and health.

Heather is a queer, feminist activist, writer, photographer, artist, educator and Internet publisher and community organizer. She has been considered a pioneer of both women's and young adult sexuality online, having brought inclusive, informative, feminist, original, creative and radical sexuality content to the web since 1997. She is a former Montessori and alternative classroom teacher, the founder, executive director, and glorified janitor of Scarleteen.com and the author of S.E.X.: The All-You-Need-To-Know Progressive Sexuality Guide to Get You Through High School and College. Her work in sexuality, visual art and her short stories and nonfiction have been published and noted broadly; you can see some of the monster list here. Heather is also an abortion, sexuality and birth control educator and counselor for the Cedar River Clinics/Feminist Women's Health Center, as the director of their CONNECT outreach and education program. She is a sexuality consultant for the health department of orb28/ New Moon Girl Media, her young adults sexuality advice at Scarleteen is syndicated weekly at the United Nations Foundation supported reproductive health hub RH Reality Check and she is a contributing writer and editor to the forthoming 2011 edition of Our Bodies, Ourselves. A Chicago, native, she just turned 40 and moved to a place in the woods on a small island outside Seattle, Washington.

Ruthie is a professional sexuality educator and relationship coach, as well as a graduate instructor for student-therapists. She holds a Ph.D. in Child and Family Development, with certificates in Family Therapy and Qualitative Research, and a Masters of Science in Social Work with a specialization in Family Therapy. Ruthie is proud to specialize in recovery from intimate partner violence as well as sex & disability across sexualities and genders. She is published in academic journals and has presented on her work at major conferences around the world. A new resident of Washington, DC, she enjoys exploring the city on foot, trying creative vegetarian cooking, and frolicking with her dogs and partner. Always a sex nerd, Ruthie can also be found blogging about sexual pleasure and well-being, offering pleasure workshops, and giving lube samples and sex toys to her friends.

Sarah is a doctoral student at a southern university studying communication. Her work in a variety of health care settings sparked Sarah's research interests, which include patient/provider communication and social support. She first began posting at Scarleteen in 2000, and is one of the longest-tenured volunteers at Scarleteen. In her spare time, Sarah enjoys knitting (though not very skillfully), cooking, and reading.

Stephanie is an alternative education Elementary teacher with a growing interest in sexual education programs being promoted in schools. While researching information with a friend for a sex-education curriculum she ran across Scarleteen and has been attached to the site and it's positive stance on sexual education since. When she's not working and studying, she enjoys spending time with friends and writing. Around the site she's usually found answering questions in the text queue, working at the boards, or answering some Sexpert Advice questions.

The Occasionals or Past Sexperts

David was a peer counselor as a teen for a community-based sex information and referral hotline. For most of the last ten years he has been an active forum participant on issues relating to pregnancy, parenting, and human sexuality. In addition, for the last two years he has rabidly blogged about issues related to adult sexuality. He's a stay-at-home/work-at-home father of two younger children in Seattle, Washington.

Hollie is an OB/GYN Registered Nurse from Ontario. Hollie has been answering questions here at Scarleteen since she was a young'un in late 2000. When she's not working or volunteering for ST, she can usually be found relaxing at home with her husband and four cats.

James is a designer living in Seattle, Washington with the cutest dog in the world. He's been openly gay for close to 20 years - he is the author of The Making of a Homo featured here in Gaydar - and the realization of his age is giving him pause to reconsider the vegan mint icing he's been eating out of the bowl. When he's not eating vegan mint icing straight out of the bowl, he enjoys making blanket statements that cause his boyfriend's eyes to roll.

Lena is a full-time secondary school teacher and part-time community college instructor in her mid-twenties from the mid-Atlantic United States. She has a Master's in German and experience teaching and studying in the US and Germany. Active at Scarleteen for the past six years, Lena Femke focuses on interpersonal relationships, issues of identity, and providing general support. In addition to answering Sexpert Advice, Femke is the author of To Be Awesome or Just Be: Tips on Making the Most of your Life Right Now as well as a regular blogger, currently developing the new Spotlight on Scarleteen feature. In her free time, she likes to read (books, blogs, and current events!), write, create and decorate, and spend time with family and friends.

Paul is a research psychoanalyst, which means he went to school for way too long. He is on the editorial board of the American Journal of Sexuality Education. Paul is also the cow superintendant at his county fair. He lives on a remote bay in the beautiful Northwest with his wife, daughter, dogs and small herd of livestock. Paul is the author of Guide To Getting It On!, which is now in its 5th edition.

Red is a naturopathic physician who is currently working towards her MD at OHSU School of Medicine. After graduating from the National College of Natural Medicine in 2004, Red spearheaded the effort to establish a Transgender Clinic Night at Outside In in downtown Portland, Oregon. She volunteered there as a doc for 2 years. Besides her passion for trans medicine, Red has a great love for women's healthcare. She has worked as a gynecology model for nine years, teaching medical students how to correctly perform all sorts of gyn procedures, and worked as a medical assistant for a gynecologist as well. Red is now in her third year of med school and plans on pursuing a career as a surgical subspecialist. In her free time Red loves to rock climb, read, take long walks through the woods and nap on her couch with her orange cat named Sammy Kitty.

Sarah M. has been writing and talking publicly about women's bodies and sexualities since 2000, when she started her website All About My Vagina. She spends a lot of time making websites and communing with the internet, supporting local music and art, knitting things, organizing community sex education events, not driving a car, being self-employed, playing with her friends, hanging with her gramma, growing plants, and being in love with her special man, all generally while talking about genitals with anyone who is curious (i.e., most people). She lives in sunny Victoria, BC, Canada.

Susie is an epidemiologist specializing in infectious diseases and has been working in public health for the past two years. She earned her master's degree in public health from USC Keck School of Medicine in 2004, where she wrote her thesis on STD health education. She earned her bachelor's degree in 2002 from UC Berkeley, having studied molecular cell biology and Southeast Asian studies. Susie stumbled on Scarleteen in July 2000 and discovered she had a knack for talking about sexual physiology. When she's not at her computer, Susie is either rocking out at a concert, pumping iron at the gym or stuck in traffic. That's because she is trapped in suburban Los Angeles, CA.