Hi gaymcr, There are a few different things you can try. Water can usually help, since it can soften the discharge and make it easier to remove. You can also make sure you're wiping thoroughly when you go to the bathroom, since that can help remove discharge that might be accumulating. Too, if you n...

Hi Digdawg,

Thanks for the update, and glad to hear things are going better!

As much as you can, try not to be to down on yourself about how you're feeling. When we're anxious, seeking reassurance around our anxiety is really common, and that can often take the form of constantly checking things. It may be helpful to frame that as an unhelpful coping mechanism to unlearn, ra...

In those conversations with your therapist, what have they advised in terms of dealing with those fears and feelings of urgency? With staying in contact, what if you tried something simple like setting reminders for yourself to text them or see if they're interested in chatting? That way you keep co...

Hi Sunny_Side_Up, I'm so sorry that you're finding yourself in a position where you're afraid that your sexual orientation means you can't live according to your faith, or that it puts your soul in jeopardy. Before we do anything else, I want to give you this resource: http://queergrace.com/. Queer ...

A new, wonderful, heartfelt piece from Mo: https://www.scarleteen.com/article/sexu ... nger_queer

I'm a big fan of creating your own sex positive stories, even if they don't become the "next big thing!" And I think you're right that some of this comes from a desire to see more "taboo" sex on screen. There still seems to be a pervasive belief that you can only show those thing...

New! A beautiful, supportive piece from for sexual assault #survivors seeking pleasure and reconnection to their bodies and their sexual selves: https://www.scarleteen.com/article/abus ... after_rape

I hear you on those mixed feelings, or feelings that seem like they're running counter to what everyone else is expressing. I live somewhere that's had about ten confirmed cases (I suspect this is due mostly to us being rural, since many, many, many people here did not take the threat seriously), so...

I see. So, while he ultimately gets to decide how to manage his own phone, I'd recommend blocking her because it's clear that, rather than using those channels as a way of trying to apologize, she's using them as a way to flirt and/or mess with him. Plus, her actions are contributing to you feeling ...

Okay, in that case maybe just asking, "hey, from now on, can you leave any packages/mail for me on my bed" is a simple starting place.

Hi bikinsterboy,

You've got the answer in your title! Dental dams are the recommended form of protection during that activity, even if the person ends up pushing their tongue forward (since dams have some flexibility).

Joining the club sounds like a great idea! As far as how to get more involved under the radar, these articles may give you some ideas. Some of them are framed as about celebrating pride, but a lot of the advice applies to getting involved in or staying connected to the community in general: https://...

Ooof, that is definitely the kind of thing that can be a blow to your self-esteem. I'm glad he blocked her on at least one platform, but it sounds like he needs to block her pretty much everywhere. Is that something he's already done? With volunteering, definitely keep your eye out over the next mon...

Hi bikinksterboy,

This does sound like something a conversation would hopefully solve. Do you happen to have any idea why he's doing this?

Hi meridamulan3264,

I don't have a ton of advice, since this a little out of our wheelhouse, but I know Cleis Press used to be a place for this kind of content, so they may be a good starting place.

Hi thewrit3r, Yeah, I read someone's summary of that movie and made an audible "arghghg." I think there are a few things that could help media that romanticizes abuse become less prevalent. One is people stop consuming it; mainstream media is very driven by what has a history of making mon...

Hi tearsforfears, Tampons can be tricky if you're new to using them. One of the things that can actually have a big influence on the ease of getting them in or out is the position you do it in. When you try to insert them, are you sitting? Standing? Laying down? That fear that if you have trouble in...

Hi raginglesbian, It sounds like you and she communicated a lot both before and during this, which is one of the key ways of preventing you or she from feeling crummy afterwards. That being said, sometimes people do enthusiastically consent to something, then find out it makes them feel a bit off af...

I'm glad the article was helpful, and that you have friends who are supportive! It can be so hard to be in a conservative area when you're part of the LGBTQ community, especially if you aren't sure being out to your family is safe. In addition to your friends, do you have ways of staying connected t...

Ugh, that does sound like really frustrating behavior from them! I think starting up counseling would be sound, if only to give you extra space to process those feelings and maybe someone who could help you work through ways of addressing it with them. Even if they aren't doing the worst things poss...

In some ways, you can only do so much to prevent yourself from feeling a certain way for him. What you can manage is your expectations and communication with him (too, while right now you don't see any cons to him as a person, generally the longer we're in contact with someone the more familiar we g...

Honestly, I'm pretty dang impressed that you deleted all those channels! That's a really good way of protecting your mental time and energy. I've found that some general body positive mindsets help me a lot with my own feelings about my height; things like reframing how I think about it for myself, ...

Hi hannah653,

Ow, that sounds really unpleasant! Can I ask what position you're in when you try to take them out? And are you using tampons that are fairly large?

Hi KC, Ooof, it can be so annoying when those messages that you know are nonsense end up popping up and messing with something you're enjoying. Do you have any techniques that you use in other parts of your life to counter those "I'm not a man because X" messages that you think you could u...