Hi seuniemonki, Given the timing you described, I think it's pretty safe to assume that you got the sore throat from kissing him and picking up his cold (you may have also simply gotten it from being close to him while he was sick). That being said, if the thought of getting an infection from oral s...

Hi thechemicaleyes, There are a lot of things to touch on here, but I want to start with this one: I suggest heavily pumping the breaks on moving in with this guy, because he is showing several red flags that give me pause, and which his immaturity around your body, and vulvas in general are one par...

The newest piece in Lisa Laman's series on autism and dating! https://www.scarleteen.com/read/feeling ... self-about

Got it, in that case I'd say this is just normal variation in discharge, rather than cause for concern.

Hi Maroonteen, In addition to everything Latha said, it sounds like you may have possibly witnessed sexual abuse? I ask because you mention your sisters being abused as separate from the domestic violence you all survived. Too, have you and they ever spoken about what happened, or tried to support e...

Those both sound like good next steps. Too, a good way to avoid situations like this in the future is to have these conversations with a potential partner before anything sexual happens. If you need any information on how to do that, that's something we can help with.

Hi ayle1257,

So, as we say in our user guidelines, one of the things we're not able to help with is conception advice. Those kinds of conversations need to be had to with an OB-GYN, midwife, fertility specialist, or other healthcare provider who can help you determine what might be going on.

It's totally okay to have lots of questions! What I hear you describing here sounds more like curiosity than something that's a problem. You're in the midst of realizing some things about your sexuality, and part of that often involves imagining ourselves in those different relationship scenarios an...

Hi MistahCFS, I think you're right that the noises people make during sex are really varied! Too, sometimes whether or not someone makes noise during sex is determined by things other than just their response to what's going on; for example, someone in a dorm room might deliberately keep a lid on an...

Hi naurmi008,

That's likely just some normal variation in your discharge. But I do want to check, has that change in discharge been accompanied by a new, very strong smell, or any symptoms like pain during urination?

Got it! So, I think it might be helpful to apply the logic in that last sentence to feeling arousal. While it's not quite as universal as hunger, I'd say the vast majority of people experience it. Experiencing it isn't a sign you're doing something wrong, it's more just an indicator that you're havi...

You're very welcome, I'm glad we were able to help!

Oh goodness, I'm so sorry you went through that, and I can absolutely see how that kind of trauma would make you wary of ever seeking medical care again. Have you ever received any kind of counseling or other support around what happened?

Hi Luciefer, So, if the condom came all the way off in vaginal canal without either of you noticing until you pulled out, then that does introduce the chance of fluid exchange. However, I think the important thing here is that SHE didn't tell you she was HIV positive; some other person did. So your ...

Got it. So, I think a helpful thing to remember is that, from what you're describing, you have a crush on the more human parts of this character, rather than the dog-likes ones. Which suggests the parts of it you're interested in aren't the animal ones. Too, things like our fantasies and crushes don...

Hi Lyle Lanley, You know, I don't think having a crush on a fictional character, even one that's a talking animal, is anything to see a therapist for or feel ashamed of. Not to put too fine a point on it, but if working in sex ed for a decade AND being on the internet for much longer than that has t...

Hi Shimotsuki, It sounds like it's worth talking with him about then! And you know, lots of parts of sex are silly or awkward, especially if we were to zoom out. But in my experience, embracing the fact that sex is silly or awkward is a big step towards being able to see sex as a form of play, which...

Hi Mika, So, when it comes to finding ways of masturbating that feel good to you, a lot of it is just about exploration and trial and error, because bodies are so varied in what they enjoy that there's no one, set group of methods of masturbating that will feel good to everyone. That being said, if ...

Hi anonnymous20, With your mom, if your end up needing to go to a healthcare provider and need her help arranging that, you could say that you think you might have a yeast infection or a UTI. Those can happen for lots of reasons, so you wouldn't have to disclose the masturbation part to her if that ...

Hi Hedera, Since this came around the time you expected to be ovulating, and you know that ovulation bleeding is something you tend to experience, I would assume that that's exactly what it is. Ovulation bleeding, like menstrual flow, can have at least a little variation to it without it being a sig...

It may help to think of it this way: in order for a pregnancy to happen, a lot of different, biological things have to happen all at once. An ovum has to be available, sperm have to not only make it into the body but then make it to the ovum and join up with it, etc. And for each of those things, th...

Hi Gender Gay,

I do want to say that hair removal creams aren't recommended for use on the genital area, as they carry a risk of chemical burns.

The latest piece in our series by Adam England: https://www.scarleteen.com/read/identit ... ur-friends

I'm glad my reply was helpful!

If you know you have a family history of OCD and you suspect you may be showing some signs of it, have you been able to check in with a mental healthcare provider, either to get a diagnosis or just to have some support around those feelings of guilt and worry?

You're very welcome! And if you have question about those articles or want to talk more about specific things that come up in them, we're happy to talk about that.