Hi there LovelyStar, What you're going through right now seems pretty difficult - let me start out by saying that it's a good thing that you're reaching out and seeking support. Coming to terms with one's own gender/sexual identity can be a pretty complicated and emotional process, and it can often ...

It's awesome that you've found support and validation from your friends and (some) family. I'm really glad to hear that. In terms of masturbation, there's no such thing as "too young" if it's something that you enjoy and feel good doing. Plenty of people start masturbating at the pre-teen ...

Hi there JustAGirl, and welcome to Scarleteen! It seems like you are starting to think about your sexual orientation and possibly being involved with other girls. When you ask "Am I too young", are you referring to these thoughts about being gay? Or about getting sexually/romantically invo...

Hi ballerina99, First of all, good for you for noticing something new happening with your body! It's a really good thing when people pay attention to any changes going on down there, so that they can take care of themselves if a problem arises. In terms of those "inside lip things", you're...

It often seems like there are a lot of unspoken expectations out there that a person's significant other(s) are their primary source of emotional support/validation. This may be true for a lot of the population, but people often have a whole other support network made up of family members, friends, ...

Hi missmariah, and welcome to Scarleteen! It sounds like you got some conflicting information about birth control and antibiotics. Current research indicates that almost all antibiotics have no effect on the efficacy of hormonal birth control, but because they had small sample sizes in their studies...

Unfortunately, I think that your experiences in sex ed (and the lack of actual sexual education) are fairly common, both in the U.S. and Canada. It's great to hear that there are politicians who are actively trying to bring about change, because clearly the status quo isn't providing young people wi...

Oops! Sorry! Got too excited about Nicole Scherzinger. Lol.

Nicole Scherzinger!!! Absolutely. I see you.
Put a picture of the Pussycat Dolls on the front of your binder and hum "Buttons" to yourself whenever he comes near. What geometry teacher??

One example of a response that comes to my mind is to be straightforward about it - if they ask you about it or make a comment, you could say something like, "People take contraceptives/birth control for a lot of different reasons, and I don't think it's appropriate for you to comment on my med...

Like I always say, nobody ever got hurt from using too much lube...

A friend of mine recently sent me a message that said "Glycerin is everywhere! I can't escape!!". She was standing in the middle of a CVS drugstore, in the 'family planning' aisle, staring at the different types of lube that they had available, trying to find one that didn't have glycerin ...

Capablehippie, that's awesome that you've been able to go braless sometimes and feel comfortable! I am a total fan of people ditching others' standards and doing what feels best to them, especially if it makes them feel more confident and at ease. Like I mentioned earlier, it can be a difficult proc...

Hi MusicNerd! Nice to run into you again on the boards :) I also think that these types of gendered speech patterns are really interesting. I've often found that things like body language and speech patterns say lot to say about bias, prejudice, and perceived power dynamics when you look at them clo...

There are a lot of parts of my body that I'm in a process of learning to love, and I'm sure that's true for a lot of people out there- especially when mainstream media presents that there are only a few specific body types that are acceptable or attractive. I'm working on it day by day, and one of t...

Hi Olivia15! I just wanted to second those points you made about how misinformation (or a total lack thereof) in school sex education is harmful to women and members of the LGBTQ community. There are a lot of disparities in the sex education system (if you can call it that), and their effects can be...

My gender is like an itch between my shoulder blades that I can't scratch, but it it kind of tickles in a good way. It's a shaved head and piercings and toenail polish and worn-in shirts from the thrift store and opening doors for people and cooking Indian food and not shaving anything I don't want ...

Hi MusicNerd! I just wanted to stop by and say that it is so awesome that you are finding ways to have fun on your own and not feel bad about being single (because there isn't anything to feel bad about!). It is absolutely a good thing that you're feeling better about this Valentine's Day as compare...

Hi Volleygirl 22! It's so awesome that your friend felt comfortable enough to come to you with advice, and also that you're so concerned with supporting her in the right way. Do I understand correctly in that your friend is asking for advice about having a sexual relationship with her girlfriend? Al...