Scenario #1: Katy is a 16 year old girl who has been single her entire life, despite her best efforts. She has never been kissed or had any type of oral, vaginal or anal sex, but this morning her vagina was so itchy that she wished it would just disappear forever. How could she have contracted a Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) without ever having any sexual contact with another person??

Fewer teens in the U.S. are getting pregnant.

In fact, the teen pregnancy rate is at an all-time low. That also means fewer teens are having abortions or becoming parents. In 2015, only 22 teens out of every 1,000 gave birth.

Teen pregnancy rates continues to decline thanks to important government programs that provide teens with sex education and reproductive health care. These programs are now at risk under the Trump administration.

TRIGGER WARNING: Sexual Assault

Have you ever dressed differently because you were afraid of being catcalled? Walked with earphones even though you weren’t listening to music? Purposefully changed your route to avoid a group of people standing on the sidewalk?

If you engage in sexual play and activities and experience dryness, it can be unpleasant and uncomfortable. Using a lubricant (lube) to counter dryness in sexual activity can make your experience a thousand times better, but how do you know what type of lube is best for you?

Did you agree to have to sex with your new crush with the condition that he use a condom only to find out that the condom “came off” midway? You may have been “stealthed”. This is when someone secretly and intentionally removes his condom during sex, without telling his partner. While this practice is not new, a recent study has given a name to this alarming trend and one California Assemblywoman is working to include “stealthing” as a form of rape.

The term “Obamacare” has been in the news and on social media a lot lately.

You might think it has nothing to do with you. But if you have health insurance – or hope to have insurance one day in the future, then Obamcare does affect you and your family.

A lot.

Take control of your health. Ask your doctor to test you for HIV. Get informed about your options. Break the silence and encourage others to do the same. Your HIV test is your voice to take charge of your health! These are a few steps you can take to change the way people think about getting tested for HIV.

We live in a time where nearly everyone our age documents every part of their life on social media. There is some sort of unspoken law behind each form of social media. Instagram is usually for the aesthetics and cool pictures that make you feel like you want to live forever. Facebook can be for family and school relationships. Twitter and Snapchat are the place where many let loose and post whatever they want... sometimes posting a whole lot more than what is really going on.

If you are at a stage when you’re ready to get close with someone - it’s really important to talk about what you really like and what you definitely don’t want to do – and everything in between. Having these conversations can make us nervous or embarrassed and it’s hard to know how to even begin!

In California, you can get any birth control method covered by your health insurance for free and without restrictions. That includes even the most effective and hassle-free methods like the implant and IUD that can be safely used to prevent pregnancy for 3-7 years!