(hell, yeah) Scarleteen

Often enough, we realize that not everyone knows that Scarleteen does way more than simply providing thousands of pages of accurate, inclusive and pioneering sex education that even sex educators themselves often use for information.  Providing information like that is a big part of what we do and have always done, and we’re so glad when people find it and use it for themselves.

But it’s not only only part of what we do, in a lot of ways, we think of that static information as just a starting point, or as extra reference for the one-on-one work we can do with our users and readers.

In other words, someone can go read a few articles, then come to us to talk about them, ask extra questions, and then get help putting that information into the context of their own lives.  And if a person is looking for help with something about sex, sexuality or sexual relationships they can’t find a piece for, we also are always happy to work with that person in our direct services to find them what they need and talk them through it, whether that talk lasts a few minutes, a few days, or even months or years.

The online tool we have to do this is our message boards, which we’ve run for over twelve years now, with over 50,000 registered users, and with complete, active moderation from our staff and volunteers.  We’ve also worked hard to make our online community one of the most sensitive, safe, flame-free, and comfy places to be about some often-uncomfortable issues we think anyone can find online, whatever their age.

The help we can give, and have given, our users there includes, but is not limited to:

- Talking through sexual choices or relationship issues

- Pro-choice pregnancy options counseling

- Help managing and finding sexual healthcare

- Help with birth control, safer sex, coming out (or staying in!), talking with parents and guardians about sex

- Help working through sexual trauma or abuse

- Talking through body image or sexual identity

- Fact-checking information about sexuality or sexual health you’ve seen elsewhere

- Peer support from all of the other many members of our community when you want and need it

So, don’t forget! 

If you’d like some extra help, conversation or support — for free! — to round out the sexual information you’ve received from us or elsewhere, any time of day, every day of the year (and you’d like to have those conversations without worrying about having them affixed to your name with Facebook, or your handle on other sites, like tumblr), from people you know have a lot of credible experience doing just that, we’ve got your back. You’ll find us happy to help you right over there whenever you need us. :)