Politics
When Whole Women’s Health Kicked Antichoice Butt
The ruling in the Supreme Court case Whole Women’s Health v. Hellerstedt invalidated the basis that so many, if not all, standing abortion restrictions are founded on, including parental involvement laws.
Judicial What? The Trials, Tribulations and Basis of the Judicial Bypass Process
In every state where consent or notification is required for a minor to get an abortion, there's also a judicial bypass option. Here's the history and mechanics of judicial bypass laws.
Rebel Well: A Starter Survival Guide To A Trumped America
Under a Trump administration many Americans, especially the most vulnerable, are going to hurt and struggle. Many of us need to protect ourselves; all of us need to help protect and care for each other. Here's an extensive guide to help you do both.
Sexuality: WTF Is It, Anyway?
The term "sexuality" can be used a lot like the word "sex." They're both terms we say and hear a lot, but which often aren't clearly defined. We take for granted everyone knows what sexuality means, a heck of an assumption to make with something that covers so many important things and can feel as murky as Lake Erie. So: what's it all about?
Driver's Ed for the Sexual Superhighway: Navigating Consent
As it is on the road, being attentive to and giving clear signs and signals is a big deal between the sheets. If consenting feels complicated or confusing, here's a guide to clear it up.
What's Sex?
It's obviously important if you're here for information that you know what we mean when we talk about sex, so we thought we'd make it clear.
Jacob and Al's Intergalactic Intersectionality Adventure
Our identities and histories can be important and awesome, but they can also be a little difficult to figure out. What happens when your ideas about who you are clash with each other, or when you don’t feel like you fit anywhere at all? Perhaps you think you identify with words like ‘bisexual’ or ‘black/white’ or ‘man/woman’ but nothing feels quite right. Who is the real you? It can sometimes feel like everyone else knows who they are while you’re wearing clothes that don’t quite fit. Amidst that confusion it can be a struggle to navigate relationships with family, friends, and community. Intersectionality is here to help!
Dating and Gender Roles when One Partner is Trans
What do you do in dating when one person is trans and one is cisgender?
Undoing Sexual Shame
Feeling ashamed about sex or sexuality? Here are some steps to help you get started on turning that around so you can learn to love, not revile, your sexual self.
What’s In A No?
What's so scary about asking when someone else may say no? Rejection. Read on to dial down the fear factor and learn to accept no like a pro.
Navigating Sexuality as a Fat Teen
Some thoughts and tips on navigating sexuality as a fat teen, and dealing with sizeism and fatphobia.
Shame & Stigma: How It Makes Young Moms and Dads Feel
As a young parent, being shamed for the decisions you have made and being stigmatized for your identity makes navigating through the world -- and pregnancy and parenting -- much more difficult.
Don't Want to Have Sex?
Then don't! Here's a feast of support and help for those who want to say no, not now, or not-like-this to sex or sexual relationships.
Be Your Own Superhero: Learning How and When to Stand Up for Ourselves
Feel like being able to clearly set boundaries, stick to them, and assert yourself must require superpowers? Nope! You've already got all the goods: here's how to develop and use them!
Casual...Cool? Making Choices About Casual Sex
What is it? Why would -- or wouldn't -- you want it? What makes it more likely to be a blast or a bummer?
Intimacy: The Whys, Hows, How-Nots, and So-Nots
Healthy intimacy is about intentionally sharing private or vulnerable parts of our hearts, minds, bodies or lives with each other. Why would we do that, how can we do that, and what is and isn't healthy with intimacy?
The Sex Goddess Blues: Building Sexual Confidence, Busting Perfectionism
Many women and girls feel insecure about sex, especially when it's new. How can we build some sexual confidence?
Wild and Untamed Things: Why a Cult Classic Still Resonates After All These Years
Scarleteen volunteer Sam reflects on the significance of The Rocky Horror Picture Show and how it relates to sexuality, identity, and her middle school experience.
You're Not Pregnant. Why Do You Think You Are?
Some people struggle with strong pregnancy fears when there isn't a pregnancy or hasn't even been any real risk of pregnancy. What's that really about, and how can you move forward?
Five Things I Learned Dating a Girl
Dating this wonderful person pushed me to think about some things in new and challenging ways. Here are some of my favorite lessons that I learned when I dated a woman.
Figuring Out How to be a Lesbian Safer Sexpert
When I started having sex with girls, there was no one cheering, especially not encouraging me to have safer sex. But over the last few years, I’ve finally begun to feel confident with safer sex, and it’s improved my sex life a million percent. I wish I’d gotten comfortable with it sooner.
The Rainbow Connection: Orientation for Everyone
Everyone has a sexual orientation and a sexual identity. Here are some basics and not-so-basics about what orientation is, some of the ways we can talk about it, how to figure yours out, and finding support.
Risky Business: Learning to Consider Risk and Make Sound Sexual Choices
Choices about sex and intimacy will always involve some risks, and making sound choices when risks, emotions and social high stakes are involved isn't something anyone is magically expert at. How can we learn to do it well, and what are some common things that trip us up?
This is About Genital Herpes
I realized that I was uncomfortable associating myself with genital herpes. Will people think I have it? Why else would someone write about genital herpes and risk that association if they didn’t have it, right? So I pressed on, putting myself at the center of an itty-bitty social experiment that resulted in some pretty big stuff.
Sp[ace] Exploration: What Sexual People Can Learn from Asexual Communities
Asexuality saved my sex life. No, seriously -- I mean that. I will declare it from the middle of a courtroom, with one hand on Our Bodies, Ourselves. Asexuality, as much as sex-positive feminism and far more than any amount of "hon, you just need to get laid already," helped me to access a confident, positive, and excited relationship with my sexual self.