Thanks for clarifying, Bubblegumkid. I was asking because brown discharge commonly indicates that one's period (or withdrawal bleed if they're on birth control) is starting - usually that's called "spotting." Usually that won't have an unusual smell either. Though your periods are irregula...

Hey Somesh -- I don't think there's anything wrong with you. Making decisions like this and maintaining our boundaries can be stressful on its own, but I imagine there is even more added stress because pregnancy is often quite altering. We can help you sort how you're feeling out. It sounds like som...

Hi Raffles -- I see where your concerns are coming from. Something I do want to offer is that from what I can tell from your posts in this thread and in others is that you are very self-aware and often pretty in touch with how you're feeling with something or where your limits are. I think because o...

Hey Bubblegumkid -- welcome to Scarleteen! We're happy to help sort this out with you. Are you by chance near the time you usually have your period? Are you on any hormonal birth control?

Hey Raffles -- up top I wanted to say that I really related to some stuff in your post and I'm sorry it can feel like such a struggle to be vulnerable with even people you trust. The questions you're asking are subjective to one's own experience and may be tougher to answer, but I hope what I have d...

Hey lycheefan -- I think it is pretty normal for someone to have a bad reaction to external stimuli that scares/bothers/annoys/discomforts them. I, for example, am very scared of centipedes and get very upset when I see them, but my boyfriend isn't bothered when there's one in the house at all. It's...

Hey Juliaho90 -- Because you're supposed to start it today, I would give it another day to determine if your discharge has actually stopped or your withdrawal bleed is affected somehow, just to be sure.

Hey MusicNerd -- you're totally right, and I think you're on the cusp of learning something really important about anxiety and how it plays out interpersonally. Sometimes our own overthinking makes us believe we do know what will happen, because we've quite possibly thought of every way it could. Of...

Hey Draconiquist -- your mom is right, this is totally a space where you can talk about things like this as freely as you like. Up top I just want to assure you that our staff and volunteers would not find this awkward and I can confidently speak for everyone when I say that we aren't making assumpt...

Hey again Crow -- can you clarify what you mean by that? Do you have any limitations of your physical mobility, or are you not sure what kind of physical activity you have space/equipment/etc to do? This will help us brainstorm some ideas with you.

Hey neni -- don't worry, we're volunteers because we like helping with questions like this! Yep, having late periods after stopping hormonal birth control is pretty common. It may take up to 3 months for it to completely stabilize again.

Hey Anon25 -- I think you're on the right track here for the most part; bisexuality at its core means that one isn't exclusively attracted to one particular gender, which sounds accurate for you. A bisexual person doesn't need to be attracted to any gender equally or in the same way, and bisexuality...

Hey neni -- I'm also glad to hear that Scarleteen has helped you so much! Yes, experiencing some nausea after stopping the pill is very normal. Along with that and the breast tenderness you already mentioned, you may also experience heavier periods and/or changes in weight. Finding the best birth co...

Hey Cherrycrab -- it's my understanding that though hair can get stuck in a penis' urethra (and lead to some pretty serious complications), it can be on the rarer side. It sounds like a stray hair found itself near your penis and got pushed in. I also wanted to offer that the accounts I've read char...

Hey Crow -- this sounds like a difficult situation all-around, but I'm grateful you're finding some comfort with your neurodiverse friends. It doesn't sound like the counselor at school was helpful at all, but would you have any interest in trying therapy with someone else? If you think it would hel...

Hi miskosou -- I'm glad that you had a space to write all that down, I imagine feeling all of these conflicting emotions in this situation is really hard for you. We'll do out best to help you sort how you feel out, and hopefully that will help you figure out how you want to go about this situation ...

Hey Sam526687 -- I'm so glad to know that you feel comfortable sharing all of this with us here at Scarleteen. I totally understand having a sexual interest you want to explore and not having a lot of outlets in your life for it. Can you say more about what you mean when you say that you know "...

Hey GS_6 -- you're right, the anus can be restrictive and it may be difficult to put something inside. One thing to note up top here is that this was likely considered in the design of the applicator, and the applicator is likely much thinner than something like a sex toy or penis. You may have an e...

It sounds like you get a lot of sex-negative messaging at home - not quite someone telling you directly that it's bad, but doing things that restrict the ways you could possibly learn more about it or be exposed to it. It could maybe have an impact on how you feel. Other than banning stuff, has your...

Hey miskosou -- I'm so sorry this is has been so frustrating. You've done a good job of explaining what happens and how it feels when you try to masturbate. I'm not sure if there's something we can say that will make it easier immediately, but we can try to talk more about how you're feeling and see...

Hey Spider_Queen -- that conversation sounded like it was really hard, but I think your honesty shows how much you care. It sounds like both of you need some time to process. In the meantime, how are you taking care of yourself? Do you have someone in your life that is supportive? How or where do yo...

Hey lycheefan -- so what's interesting about love languages is that how one prefers to receive love may not be they way they most give it most often. I, for example, took the test and got "acts of service" - which is totally true - but I tend to express my love in words of affirmation or g...

Hi rahrah300 -- it sounds like this situation has been really confusing for you. Having your trust broken is very difficult and it can throw us for a loop to say the very least. Now, I may be totally off the mark here, but... reading that you posted in a few different places and also talked to frien...

Hi spottedowl -- this sounds like a really complicated situation, and I'm sorry to hear that it's been source of confusion and stress. You're totally right, sometimes dating within a friend group - especially friend group that sounds as close as yours - can cause tension. The very first thing that j...

I'm having a nice day! I'm a graduate student and my program is a little intense, and I look forward to volunteering on the weekends for Scarleteen. My boyfriend is over and doing some other small projects for me. I often don't have time during the week to do these kinds of things and I have little ...