support

What is self-harm? How does it—and can it—fit into a loving relationship? Will I ever be comfortable with my scars?

It’s actually, in my book, not grey at all. I’m a very talented cook, and my friends love it when I cook for them. Some crave my meals intensely. If I have a friend over, and I have them smell some fresh basil I picked up at the market, show them a beautiful tomato from my garden, does my doing that…

The next thing to do after a family member says that to you is simply to acknowledge what they have disclosed and honor that it can be scary to do that – such as by saying something like, “I’m glad you felt safe telling me about your bisexuality.” You can also reassure them that until they’re ready…

A basic lowdown on interpersonal abuse and assault: what all the terms mean, why strangers are the least of our worries, what a cycle of abuse looks like, how you can start seeing abuse for what it is, where it is, and how to protect yourself and others and make abuse stop.

You just take whatever time you need, at whatever pace you need, to build trust with a new partner or potential partner. Being assaulted of course impacts how we trust people and makes it more difficult to trust, especially when you were assaulted by people who you trusted, who those around you…

Elydia: I’m so sorry you’re having to go through this with so little support. Being pregnant can be scary enough for anyone, even when it’s wanted, but it’s even more overwhelming when you’re going it alone. First of all, understand that NO ONE can force you to abort, or make your reproductive…

Clarisse: the very first thing I want to say, and want you to try hard to hear, is that you are not abnormal, nor are you some kind of basket case. You’re simply someone healing from a serious injury. With at least one out of every four women being raped or sexually abused at some point in your…

I don’t know of anyone who would think that they needed to guard their drink from someone they thought of as a best friend. I sure wouldn’t. There’s just no sound reason, at all, for you to think that for some reason, you should have thought to do something that pretty much no one on earth would…

Let’s do what we can to work this out, okay? I know it’s tough – especially if you’re also dealing with trauma in your family – and it’s scary, but it really is workable. I don’t know what you mean when you say you’re always careful, but there are currently – sparing men or women who get…

Here is some basic information on what a sports physical usually requires. While breast exams are not an abnormal part of many general physicals, unless your school specified that you were to get a pelvic exam, it is not likely that a pelvic or GYN exam – or a visual examination of your genitals –…