User login

DonateNow

Want live help from staff? Live Site Help

Recommendations

you say...

pregnancy

What's an ectopic pregnancy?

Anna asks:

What is ectopic pregnancy? I saw it listed as one of the possible risks with Plan B.

Three questions after abortion and one after miscarriage

yellow_hat asks:

I had a surgical abortion at 10 weeks in February. Besides the abortion, I have never been to an OB-GYN, but because I am getting married in May, I would like to go soon. Since it is likely that I will move and never go back to this particular OB-GYN, is it necessary that I tell her about my abortion? Will she be able to tell during the examination? I've read that the cervical opening looks more like a slit than a circle after it has been fully dilated, but I doubt I was fully dilated for the procedure. I don't want to lie or be tricky, and I know it is best to tell a doctor everything about your medical history, but since this will likely be a one-time visit with a doctor I know very little about (ex. pro-life or pro-choice), I would really prefer to avoid the topic if at all possible. Thanks!

kNOw more: Nearly One in Five Young Women Have Experienced Forced Intercourse

One of the nation’s top violence prevention organizations today launched an unprecedented new initiative to raise awareness about a kind of abuse that is rarely discussed, but has severe consequences. The Family Violence Prevention Fund’s (FVPF’s) kNOw More initiative examines the reproductive health consequences of sexual coercion and violence, which include unintended pregnancy, HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections, miscarriage, infertility, coerced abortion, and a range of other serious health issues. kNOw More is designed to start a dialogue about the birth control sabotage and reproductive coercion that many teens and young women face, and help draw the link to the reproductive health problems it causes. Its website is www.KnowMoreSayMore.org.

New research conducted for the initiative by Child Trends finds that some 18 percent of women age 18 to 24 report having experienced forced sexual intercourse at least once in their lives. Child Trends used data from the 2002

Read more...

Abreast: The Basics of Boobies

What are breasts made of? What's normal for nipples? Is something wrong with me if my breasts aren't sensitive? Can someone who isn't pregnant lactate? Do I need a bra? Why aren't my boobs bigger? Sit back, take a load off and have a read for these answers and more.

When is it safe to go unprotected?

Hilary asks:

When is safe for a woman to have intercourse without any protection?

A Correction, an Apology and a Hard Object Lesson on CPCs

In an advice answer on Crisis Pregnancy Centers here at Scarleteen, and also reprinted for my column at RH Reality Check, I originally included a link to a hotline -- the American Pregnancy Helpline -- as one option for women looking for support with a pregnancy they wanted to sustain rather going than to a CPC.

I unfortunately, and very unintentionally, proved my own point in the piece too well.

The point is how easy it can be to be fooled by CPCs, even when you're pretty savvy, aware of practices CPCs typically employ and even when you're writing an article in protest of them. I -- and others -- appear to have been duped into thinking a site and organization was respectful of women's right to choose, when, in fact, it was itself a CPC and a funnel to other CPCs.

I gave the link because when women choosing to continue a pregnancy are seeking help, they deserve to find it, and I thought some might be found there. I -- as I made clear in that article -- would never want to send a wo

Read more...

What the heck does "sexually active" mean?

Anonymous asks:

My boyfriend and I just started getting physical in our relationship. He has fingered me and when I went to the doctors the other day they asked me if I was sexually active. I am still a virgin but I wasn't sure what to say. So if I have been fingered, am I sexually active?

Birth control and infertility?

Miz asks:

I have been on birth control pills for three years now and I finally got off of them two weeks ago. Now I am scared that I may be sterile. It really scares me because I don't want to be infertile. Is there a way for me to find out if I will be able to become pregnant?

Abortion Stories

Hundreds of real women bravely tell their own abortion stories so that you can better understand abortion from a real-life, first person perspective.

Her pregnancy of two years ago came BACK?!?

confused asks:

I recently found out that my girlfriend is pregnant. The problem is I am a virgin. She had an abortion about 2 years ago and she told me that her doctor said it could randomly come back at anytime without her having sex. I want to believe her but something tells me that isn't right. PLEASE HELP!

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.