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sexuality

Can I Get Pregnant, or Get or Pass On an STI From That?

Want a quick way to sort out what sexual activities pose what kinds of risks of pregnancy or sexually transmitted infections? We've taken the temperature for you here.

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

Most of us understand being in transit means there's a possibility of getting hurt, hurting others, having a good time turn into a bad one or just not getting to where we intended, and to try and prevent those outcomes, we need to follow basic rules of the road like being attentive to and actively giving clear signs and signals. Just like it's important on the road, it's important between the sheets.

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.

With Pleasure: A View of Whole Sexual Anatomy for Every Body

Usually sexual anatomy is taught through the lens of reproduction, so it’s all about penises and vaginas, testes and uteri. But through the lens of of pleasure and sexual response, sexual anatomy looks a lot different.

Birth Control Bingo

Newly updated, our popular, inclusive 25-page guide to birth control options provides in-depth info on your contraceptive choices to help you find your BC BFF.

All About S.E.X.: The Scarleteen Book!

Get your hands on S.E.X.: the in-depth and inclusive young adult sexuality guide by Heather Corinna! Check out reviews, the table of contents and a myriad of places you can get your very own copy of the sexuality primer for every body.

Ready or Not? The Scarleteen Sex Readiness Checklist

Thinking about partnered sex? Do yourself a favor and look through our checklist to get a good idea about the readiness of you and your partner -- it's more complicated and demanding than many people think, and knowing what you need to get ready can help assure that your sexual experiences with a partner will be as great for both of you as possible.

All the Barriers! All the Time!

Everything you'll probably ever need to know about safer sex barriers, like which to use, how to use them, how to get more comfortable with them, and how surprisingly cute they are.

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.

¿Listo o no?: La lista de preparación sexual de Scarleteen

¿Pensando en sexo en pareja? Hazte un favor y mira esta lista de verificación para evaluar la preparación tuya y de tu pareja--es más complicado de lo que muchas personas piensan, y saber que necesitas para prepararte puede asegurar que tus experiencias sexuales con una pareja sean tan grandiosas como sea posible para ambos.

Kisses and Snuggles FTW!

Kissing and snuggling sure seem awfully underrated. Check out why we think what some folks consider only "first base" can be home runs all their own.

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.

How to Understand, Identify and Make Choices About Desire

What does desire feel like, and how does feeling desire -- or not feeling it -- have an impact on sex or masturbation? Is it okay to feel strong desire, low levels of desire, or even no desire? We aim to answer your most pressing questions on sexual or erotic desire.

Left Foot, Red, Right Hand, Green: The Deal on Sex Positions

What positions are there for sex? How do you do them? Which is the best one? And why does everyone seem to think positioning is so complicated when it's really not?

When Sex "Just Happened" (And How to Make It Happen Instead)

Has sex felt like it's "just happening" to you, rather than something where you're an active participant? Here's how to change that.

Lube 101: A Slick Little Primer

Meet our good friend, Lube. It can't create world peace, but it can make some kinds of sex more comfortable, masturbation or other sex you already enjoy even better, help prevent condoms from breaking and more.

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?

Rescripting Sex

Life has scripts. Little socially-agreed plays that we enact rather than trying to figure out all our interactions from scratch every time. Many of them are very simple. There's also scripts for sex. Unfortunately, the most common script out there is terrible.

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.

The Scarleteen Do-It

Feeling low about your body and how it looks? Thinking about, or already doing, some drastic things to try and change it? You're not alone. But you can get to a better place with your body and how you feel about it without doing anything that keeps you feeling just as bad, or puts your physical or mental health at risk. Here's some ways to ditch the die(t)s and go for the happy, healthy do's.

Sorting Maybe from Can't-Be: Reality Checking Partnered Sex Wants & Ideals

Is what you want and need from sex with a partner likely and realistic, or is it impossible, unlikely or out-to-lunch? Take a look at some of the most common unrealistic wants and expectations we've heard from our users, and check in with us as we visit our pal reality.

Whoa, There! How to Slow Down When You're Moving Too Fast

Is your sex life or sexual relationship feeling like someone pressed the fast-forward button and now it's spinning out of control? Evaluate whether things are moving too fast for you or a partner, and then get some help on pulling back the reins and slowing things down to a more comfortable pace.

Blogs, Polls & Advice...

Body and Sexuality Disconnects with Disability
Sex And Disability: Starting the Conversation, Finding the Resources
It's a Vagina, Not a Crystal Ball
Squirt: On Female Ejaculation
Your Map to the Condom Aisle
How can I talk about sex without pressuring her?
I want to try masturbating, but I'm afraid it will hurt.
I like fantasizing about it: would I like it for real?
If Guys are Coerced by Girls, Is It Still Sexual Abuse?
Why is one group of women so different than another when it comes to interest in sex?
Consent (and other social conundrums) When Clubbing
Rash after sex?
My best friend really wants to have sex with me, but I'm afraid it'll ruin our friendship.
I don't want to masturbate or have sex: what's wrong with me?
From friend to fingering: what now?
Pelvic pain after intercourse
I liked masturbating, but then I felt really gross about it. What now?
Do you know what your civil/legal sexual rights are?
Where do I even get started in educating myself about sex?
Why would intercourse feel good for women?
What can I do to get her to orgasm: am I the problem?
How do lesbians have sex?
50 Shades of BS - How to tell the Difference Between Kink and Abuse
How Do I Let Go of Feeling Sexually Unattractive?
Why does getting fingered feel better than sex?
How can I stick to the promise I've made to myself to wait?
I didn't bleed, and now everyone is saying I wasn't really a virgin.
He (mostly) seems nice online: should I meet him in person?
One Bloody Mess: Myths & Realities of Bleeding with First Intercourse
Should my boyfriend and I work towards partnered orgasms, when mutual masturbation is working for us so far? And if so, how?

Information on this site is provided for educational purposes. It is not meant to and cannot substitute for advice or care provided by an in-person medical professional. The information contained herein is not meant to be used to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease, or for prescribing any medication. You should always consult your own healthcare provider if you have a health problem or medical condition.