myths

The way you framed this is tricky, because our sexuality isn't separate from our minds and can't be separated from our minds, just like our bodies can't be separated from our minds. In fact, our mind is where most of sexuality really is and is what drives it the most. We can't say something is...

We talk about this a lot here at Scarleteen: virginity isn't physical or anything that can be universally proven or disproven with body parts. It's an intellectual concept, an idea, a belief, and perhaps most accurately, a word for identity some people use, usually to identify when they or others...

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.

You should experiment and communicate with your partner and should do the things together and alone that feel uniquely good for both of you -- not just one of you -- at any given time. In all truth, the answer to situations like this really are that simple, and there's not a whole lot more to it...

There aren't any "shoulds" here. Not all people with vaginas bleed with first-time intercourse or other kinds of vaginal entry: in fact, most don't. Why some people do -- and for how long they do -- and some don't also varies. As to how many people with vaginas do and don't bleed after first...

The mythical status of the hymen has caused far too much harm for far too long. RFSU shares their fantastic information booklet intended to dispel some of the myths surrounding the hymen and virginity, including a new, improved term for that anatomy, the vaginal corona.

I don't think that how we feel emotionally is ever about a matter of rights. We cannot control what we feel, after all: we can only control how we process, hold, express and manage our feelings. You feel upset: whether or not you or anyone else thinks you have a right to have those feelings, there...

Virginity is not something physical or medical. It's a cultural idea, one which many people have different definitions of and opinions about, and one that not everyone even subscribes to in the first place. The idea that vaginas can be permanently loosened is a myth, and one we have addressed over...

Before I say anything else, I want to be sure to connect you with a couple of avenues for help because I am very concerned about the state you're in right now. Clearly -- and it's really common for this to happen -- seeing your rapist has triggered a lot for you and clearly, you are in a state of...

Dear Scarleteener, congratulations on being such an active participant in your own health care, and for doing your best to take care of both your physical and emotional well-being. That can be hard to do, particularly when life and school get crazy (as they tend to). I'm hoping that the gynecologist...