youth

Is it really illegal to sell me condoms?

ADistantPlanet asks:

This may be a bit of a strange question, but my attempts at researching this question have yielded very few results. I'm 16 years old, and the other day, I went into a gas station near my home in Michigan to buy some condoms. I'm on the Pill, but I use condoms every time with my boyfriend due to my paranoia of pregnancy. When I brought the condoms to the counter, the woman behind it informed me that there is a law that forbids the selling of condoms to those under 18. This didn't really sound plausible to me, considering that the age of consent in Michigan is 16 and it would be rather counterproductive to ban condoms for 2 years, however, the woman vehemently refused to sell them to me. Is there any sort of law (in Michigan or a national law) that forbids stores from selling condoms (or pregnancy tests, etc.) to minors?

Want to be a peer sex educator?

Submitted by Heather Corinna on Wed, 07/01/2009 - 17:33.

In case it isn't obvious from the message boards and our peer-written content on the site, peer-based sex education and support is really important to and at Scarleteen. While I love my job as a sex educator who is an older adult, and think there's a lot of value in my doing this work, at the same time I feel like there's an extra power and a special kind of support with peer-to-peer education and interaction that I can't do.


MASC magazine

Masc magazine is a space for young men to explore how masculinity affects their lives. Masc is curious about how ideas of manhood are shaped by one's experiences and environment. Masc encourages expression and connection on a range of men's issues such as gender, stereotypes, sexuality and health. Masc helps men imagine their own ideals and ways to make them real.

On Innovation and Inclusivity in Sex Education

Submitted by Heather Corinna on Sun, 03/01/2009 - 19:30.

I'm posting most of the text of the lecture I just gave at the University of Texas through the NSRC Regional Training last week. A bunch of people there asked for it, and it was a great experience for me (how awesome was it to be in a room full of current and potential sex educators? VERY). So much of what I said really sums up where I'm at with this work right now, have been going and want to keep going.


World AIDS Day 2008

Submitted by eryn_smiles on Tue, 12/02/2008 - 09:27.

December 1st 2008 was World AIDS day. It marked the 20th anniversary of World AIDS day, which was established in 1988. More than forty million people around the world are currently living with HIV/AIDS and another five million people contract this disease each year.

At Scarleteen, our main focus is on young people. Young adults are a group who sometimes feel that issues such as HIV/AIDS don’t affect them. But actually, this affects all of us. 40% of all new HIV infections occur among young people aged 15-24 years old.


Saving Sarah? Or not.

Submitted by KMPatwardhan on Wed, 10/22/2008 - 02:41.

For the third time in four years, Californians are once again to vote on an abortion referendum. Proposition 4, or The Child and Teen Safety and Stop Predators Act: Sarah’s Law, will require physicians to notify a parent, legal guardian or some other adult family member of a minor seeking an abortion and then wait 48 hours before performing the procedure.


What's at Stake in 2008?

Submitted by Heather Corinna on Mon, 09/15/2008 - 16:17.

The Feminist Majority Foundation's Get Out Her Vote campaign outlines some of this election's central issues. What's your vote this year going to influence?

The 2008 election will decide who controls the White House, Congress and many state legislatures across the country. Those elected will be making decisions that could change your lives. Also, keep an eye out for special initiatives and referendums that may be on your state's ballot.

Reproductive Rights


Get Out Her Vote

The Feminist Majority Foundation's massive Get Out HER Vote Campaign (GOHV) is the nation's only student voter education and registration initiative aimed at significantly increasing registration and voting by young women. GOHV legally targets young women and students of color because they are traditionally underrepresented .

Rock the Vote

Rock the Vote’s mission is to engage and build the political power of young people in order to achieve progressive change in our country.

Coming Soon: Sexuality in Color & The Scarleteen Voting Guide

Submitted by Heather Corinna on Sun, 09/14/2008 - 15:50.

Newsflash: I'm white. Who cares, right?

Well, I do. Because one thing that means with the work I do is that I hear it, see it, compile it, write it all through the lens of a white person. I can be as mindful, sensitive and careful as I want, but that still doesn't change that.


Am I too young to think I'm gay?

billabong_babe asks:

I've only just turned 14. Am I too young to think I might be gay? Or is it just hormones playing with my emotions? If I am really gay, is it bad or stupid cause I'm so young?

Sexually harassed at work: what should I do?

Kayla asks:

There's this guy at work who keep hitting on me. At first it seemed like innocent flirting but it's gotten downright vulgar and creepy. He's 15 years older than me. I'd like to remain friends with him, if possible but he seems to think that when I turn 18 it will be okay that he says completely inappropriate things in the workplace. I'd rather not file a complaint but I will if I try everything you tell me and it doesn't stop. A friend also suggested that I drop his girlfriend a line through email letting her know what's going on. I think that would be kind of mean and may even make him violent. He's really pushy so it scares me a bit. I'd like to know how to convey to him to knock it off without hurting his feelings or getting anyone else involved.

One ring to rule them all

Submitted by Heather Corinna on Tue, 10/23/2007 - 22:30.

I read about this site in a book that I'm currently reading. I thought I'd check it out for myself. I think the content of your site is terrible. You think that you give teens all the information that they need so they can make informed decisions about their sex life. What bologna. The only decision that teens need to make is to not have sex until they are married. Certainly we all need to be informed about our physical health, our bodies, and how to have a healthy sexual relationship. But what about talking to teens about abstinence?


Books Not Bars

Books Not Bars fights to redirect California's resources away from youth incarceration and towards youth opportunities. We engage in grassroots campaigns using media advocacy, policy advocacy, grassroots organizing, and alliance building.

Activism 101

Want to step up and start standing up for the issues most important to you? Here's a few basics on how young activists can get started.