you don't need to know who you are today, and if you think you do, you're allowed to change your mind.×

if you've ever felt like a moment wasn't yours, this is for you. it's time to own every moment as yours.×

we're making space for everything that's happening in your head and heart.×

Sex + Life

Connecting with yourself and others

What do I want?

What's my purpose?

Who do I spend my time with?

Why should I care?

What do I care about the most?

What do I do with my life?

Do I respect myself?

Who am I?

Where do I belong?

Why is life confusing?

What’s expected? Out of me? Out of my friends?

Why do I feel disconnected? Alone?

FIND YOUR CHOSEN FAMILY

community

We are made to connect with others. Find those like you. And those not like you. Have real conversations. And real moments together. Take it all in. You are valued in your community, even if you haven't found it yet.

mentor

Find the person you can tell everything to. Someone that will tell you the truth, even when it’s hard. And someone that can keep you on the path to the person you really want to become. They may not have been through everything you have, but they still might know what could help you.

friend

These are the people you want in your life. And you want to be in theirs. They're part of your chosen family. Your support system. You share moments that you want to remember, not regret. You bring the best out of each other.

How far is too far?

Do I respect other's boundaries?

My boundary?
Their boundary?

How does this affect me?

Are there consequences?

What do I need to know?

What are the risks?

Do I respect my boundaries?

Defining boundaries

means more than

giving consent.

Define Your Boundaries

Sex (obviously)

Relationship Risks

prevention + PROTECTION

SELF RISKS

MENtAL HEALTH

KNOW it's real

KNOW the habits

KNOW yourself

SUBSTANCE USE

Know It's REAL

Relationship RISKS

Self RISKS

Honesty

With Others

Be open. Be direct. About your wants, needs, and yes, your sexual health when talking to a partner. None of this defines you. It only tells someone more about you.

Honesty

With Yourself

Being honest with yourself doesn't mean being negative. Ask what fulfills you on your own and in your community.

Respect

For Others

You don't have to understand each other to respect each other. Have the patience to hear someone out. They might help you better understand the world.

Respect

For Yourself

Respect where you are now. Protect yourself by honoring your own boundaries. You don't have to have it all figured out. Remember that what you do now will change your future.

Values

Shared With Others

When you know your values, you will find your people. And if your values change, you will find your people again.

Values

With Yourself

It's easy to accept what the world is telling you to do. Decide for yourself. You deserve to have memories that you want to remember—not regret—and a future that fulfills your dreams.

DECIDING WHEN

Only you can decide when you're ready to have sex. If you're feeling the pressure to do it, the answer isn't now. It can be later or never. If you've already had sex, there's no reason to do it again unless you and your partner have thought it through.

CONSENT + TRUST

Boundaries and trust come before touch. You and your partner may not be the type that talks about everything but be the type that's honest about everything.

LOVE VS. LUST

You can't force love by starting with sex. Lust is on the surface. Physical. Emotional. Love is a deeper connection. Built on loyalty. Respect. If it's just sex, it's just lust.

YOUR STD STAtUS DOESN'T DEFINE YOU

Bacterial

Chlamydia

VERY COmmon STD

Common + Curable

High Asymptomatic Rate

Timeframe

1-3 weeks; short term symptoms.

How It's Spread

Fluids from vaginal, anal, and oral sex or spread from genital fluids prior to penetrative sex.

Symptoms

Yellow or green vaginal discharge, pain/swelling of the testicles, pain in the lower abdomen, bleeding between periods, but often no symptoms.

Treatment

Curable with antibiotics, can cause permanent damage like infertility if left untreated. If you test positive, ask about medication for your partner (expedited partner therapy).

Gonorrhea

~90% HAVE NO SYMPTOMS

Common + Curable

High Asymptomatic Rate

Timeframe

1-3 weeks if symptoms show.

How It's Spread

Fluids from vaginal, anal, and oral sex. Can be spread to eyes and throat from these fluids.

Symptoms

Discharge from penis (yellow, white, or green), pain/burning when peeing, painful/swelling testicles, bleeding between periods and pelvic pain, eye pain/redness/discharge, but often no symptoms.

Treatment

Curable with antibiotics, but permanent damage is possible.
If you test positive, ask about medication for your partner (expedited partner therapy).

Syphilis

THE GREAT FAKE

Serious + Curable in Early Stages

Low Asymptomatic Rate

Timeframe

Timeframe widely varies as symptoms develop in stages.

How It's Spread

Skin-to-skin contact, fluids, and blood during vaginal, anal, and oral sex.
Sharing needles.

Symptoms

Symptoms can easily be mistaken for other diseases.

Treatment

Curable with antibiotics early on. Can lead to brain, heart, or nervous system damage if left untreated.

Viral

Herpes

LIFELONG INFECTION

Common + Treatable, Not Curable

Not curable, not life-threatening

High asymptomatic rate

Timeframe

Widely varies from days to years before a noticeable outbreak.

How It's Spread

Skin-to-skin contact with infected areas (cold sores/blisters) while touching, kissing, or having vaginal, anal, or oral sex.
Can be spread even if you can't see a sore.

Symptoms

Sores on mouth, throat, thighs, genitals, or anus
First outbreak can be extremely painful. Follow up outbreaks are not usually very painful.

Treatment—No Cure Available

Antiviral medication can reduce outbreaks and passing the infection.
Without medication, more frequent.
Can be passed to a child at delivery, causing defects or death.

HPV

100+ TYPES OF HPV

Common + Treatable, Not Curable

High asymptomatic rate

Timeframe

Low-risk types of HPV rarely cause cancer but can cause genital warts.
High-risk may not have symptoms for years until cancer.

How It's Spread

Skin-to-skin contact from vaginal, anal, oral sex, and commonly spread by secretions even without sex.

Symptoms

Low-risk: genital warts
High-risk may never have symptoms until they have cancer.

Treatment—No Cure Available

Low-risk cases may go away on their own. Vaccine can prevent HPV.
Removal of genital warts for low-risk cases.

Hepatitis (B+C)

1 IN 20 ARE CHRONIC

Serious + Curable

30%-50% are asymptomatic

Timeframe

1-3 weeks start to show symptoms.

How It's Spread

Fluids and blood from vaginal, anal, and oral sex.
Sharing needles.

Symptoms

Pain/burning when peeing, feeling sick/weak, diarrhea and stomach pain, yellowing skin.

Treatment

Vaccine can prevent Hepatitis B.
Antiviral medications can reduce symptoms of chronic (lifelong) cases, and direct-acting antiviral (DAA) treatment has a high cure rate for Hepatitis C.
Some hepatitis can go away on its own. If it doesn't, it can cause liver scarring, failure, and cancer without medication.

HIV

1.2 MILLION US CASES

Common+Treatable, Not Curable

Low asymptomatic rate

Timeframe

3 days-6 weeks start to show symptoms.

How It's Spread

Fluids and blood from vaginal, anal, and oral sex.
Sharing needles.

Symptoms

Sore throat, mouth sores, achy joints, fever, rash.

Treatment—No Cure Available

An emergency medication, PEP, can be taken in the first 72 hours of exposure to try and stop the infection.
There is no cure, but antiretroviral medications lower risk of spreading HIV to your partner.

Parasitic

Trich

NOT ALWAYS AN STD

Common + Curable

High Asymptomatic Rate

Timeframe

1 week – 1+ months.

How It's Spread

Fluids from vaginal sex, genital fluids before sex.

Symptoms

Discharge from vagina (yellow, white, green), discharge from penis is rare.

Treatment

Curable with antibiotics.
If untreated, it increases the risk of getting HIV and other STDs.
Can cause infertility or pregnancy complications.