{"id":18686,"date":"2021-01-20T13:36:30","date_gmt":"2021-01-20T12:36:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/?p=18686"},"modified":"2021-01-20T13:36:30","modified_gmt":"2021-01-20T12:36:30","slug":"talk-about-intimate-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/talk-about-intimate-health\/","title":{"rendered":"Tough Talks: Who Can I Talk to About My Sexual & Intimate Health?"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019re an Intimina blog reader, then congratulations! You\u2019ve been taking some important steps to become more informed about your body. Not to toot our own horn (though we have a lot of <\/span>advice about that activity<\/span><\/a>!) but we work really hard on our blog. Our writers do a lot research, and we have some amazing medical professionals to advise us.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But as much as our blog is a great resource for people like you, the internet can\u2019t cover everything you need to know about your body. Because every body is a little bit different. And when you feel like your body is behaving a little extra different, it can be hard to know who you can talk to. But you\u2019re not alone\u2014there are people you can talk to about<\/span> your first period<\/span><\/a>, or sex, or\u2026.anything!.<\/span><\/p>\n

Even when it seems too embarrassing, it\u2019s important to have someone you can talk to about your sexual and intimate health. Here are a few of the people you might want to turn to!<\/span><\/p>\n

A Parent, Guardian, or Other Cool, Trusted Family Member<\/span><\/h2>\n

It can all seem quite big and scary to try to deal with on your own. If you have a parent or guardian you can talk to safely, that\u2019s great! More and more people are learning about the importance of<\/span> talking to their children early and often about sexual health<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But not everyone has that support in their life. And that\u2019s okay. It doesn\u2019t need to be just your mom that you go to with questions about your body or sex. You can ask other trusted relatives, like an aunt, cousin, or cool older sibling. <\/span><\/p>\n

We do just suggest that you triple check what you\u2019ve been told with trusted medical sources, like The Mayo Clinic, a government website like the National Institute of Health, or <\/span>Go Ask Alice!<\/span><\/a> from Columbia University. <\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s not that the person you\u2019re asking is automatically untrustworthy, but sometimes they might be working with incorrect information that someone told them when they were young!<\/span><\/p>\n

Your Doctor<\/span><\/h2>\n

Your primary healthcare provider is the best person to ask if you have concerns about something being seriously wrong. If you\u2019ve had the same doctor all your life, it can somehow feel extra embarrassing asking the same person who gave you stickers during vaccinations questions about sex or menstruation. But, that just means you have someone who knows your health history very well. <\/span><\/p>\n

Doctors have heard <\/span>everything<\/span><\/i> over the course of their careers, so chances are your question about puberty<\/a> or sex won\u2019t shock them.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Healthcare providers also used what\u2019s known as a \u2018doorknob question.\u2019 This is when a patient comes in for one reason, and either reveals some critical information or asks about an entirely different issue as they\u2019re leaving the room. (With their door on the handle.) There isn\u2019t anything \u2018wrong\u2019 with that per se, but it can give a doctor limited time to address your concern if they have many appointments. <\/span><\/p>\n

This article about <\/span>advocating yourself confidently in medical settings<\/span><\/a> might be handy to read before you get to the office!<\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re concerned about your doctor telling you parents, please investigate what the laws are in your area. In the United States, there are\u00a0<\/span>laws protecting your confidentiality<\/span><\/a>…but this can depend somewhat on what state you\u2019re in. You may be able to ask your doctor\u2019s office for a referral to a gynecologist without telling them specifically why you\u2019d like the referral.<\/span><\/p>\n

Your Local Sexual Health or Public Health Authority<\/span><\/h2>\n

If you feel like you can\u2019t talk to your doctor, there are other resources in your area. There may be a government or non-profit group that\u2019s able to help you. For example, Planned Parenthood isn\u2019t just a resource for terminating a pregnancy. They can give you all sorts of\u00a0 other medical advice about everything from birth control to <\/span>STI tests<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

There are often also toll-free numbers or \u2018helplines\u2019 for organizations that deal with specific issues. All you have to do is search online for things like toll-free number or help services. You\u2019ll find a phone number (or sometimes online chat) that can help you find support for teen sexual health, unplanned pregnancy or intimate partner abuse.<\/span><\/p>\n

Do take care and do lots of poking around on the websites you do find. Try searching for the organization name \u201c +review\u201d or on Reddit to see what experiences other people have had. Unfortunately, some groups can misrepresent themselves. <\/span><\/p>\n

A \u2018pregnancy crisis center\u2019 not give you full pros and cons of your options during an unplanned pregnancy, or tell you inaccurate information about termination or birth control. <\/span><\/p>\n

Similarly, there may be centers who try to discourage you from exploring non-heterosexuality or transgender identities because of religious beliefs.<\/span><\/p>\n

Someone at Your School\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

Through your high school or university, you may have access to health services that include sexual or intimate well-being, and mental health concerns. They might not be able to give you actual treatment, but they are great at connecting you with the right people to help!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Your Friends<\/span><\/h2>\n

Where would we be without our best friends? They\u2019re great for comparing notes and just venting about whatever\u2019s going on in your life. They are there for you when a giant zit appears in the middle of 3rd period, and when you need advice on what to say to your crush.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Very close, trusted friends can also be an important lifeline when things are tough at home. Or, when a new boyfriend or girlfriend is trying to convince you that you don\u2019t need friends apart from them. Being a good friend and holding onto good friends can be tough sometimes when you\u2019re a teen, but it\u2019s worth it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Now, when it comes to the advice that Becca\u2019s cousin\u2019s friend-from-camp has about pregnancy or sex…we suggest double-checking their advice. There are a lot of pervasive <\/span>myths about our bodies<\/span><\/a> out there, and it\u2019s always good to double-check at a trusted source!<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019re an Intimina blog reader, then congratulations! You\u2019ve been taking some important steps to become more informed about your body. Not to toot our own horn (though we have…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":18687,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nPeriod Talk - Who Can I Talk to About My Sexual & Intimate Health?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"When you\u2019re young, or socially isolated, it can feel like there\u2019s no one there to listen. 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