Scarleteen

For 25 years, Scarleteen has provided original, inclusive, trustworthy and truly comprehensive sex, relationships and health information and direct support to millions of teens and folks of all ages each year at no cost to them. We are an inter-generational and queer-lead organization with a majority queer and trans team of volunteers and writers, at a time when attempts to censor queer voices is on the rise. Your contribution helps us continue our vitally important, often life-changing work and our long leadership in the field of sex education. 

We provide:

• Online static content: Scarleteen contains nearly 12,000 web pages of original comprehensive sexuality, health and relationship articles, guides, factsheets and in-depth advice answers, extensive external resource lists for each topical section of the site. Our content has been written by adult, emerging adult or teen educators and writers, is highly inclusive, and is always fact-checked and informed by current, medically-accurate information.
• Interactive services: Our message boards are staffed and highly moderated to provide a safe space which provides accurate information. Our users use them for questions and answers from staff and volunteers on sexuality, sexual health and relationships, for emotional support and to engage in safe, respectful peer-to-peer discussion. Our staff and volunteers use them as one way of finding out directly from young people what they need and what their lives, thoughts and feelings are. We also have a text/SMS service for help and information via mobile phones, an online live chat service, and maintain an active, largely-followed social media presence.
• Referrals: We make user referrals to other sexual/reproductive healthcare services, such as STI testing, contraception, and pre-natal or abortion care; for mental healthcare, LGBTQIA support, general children and family services, and sexual abuse and other crisis care. Staff can be available to users to make screening/intake phone calls if they feel nervous about first calling themselves or if they are not sure a service is bonafide.
• Other outreach: We also provide offline teen outreach and staff training, primarily through sexual/reproductive health clinics, community and school groups and teen homeless/transitional shelters in and around Reno, Nevada and Chicago, Illinois. Additional outreach, training or education is provided nationally at colleges, universities, schools, community centers and conferences to students, parents and to fellow teen and sexual health workers and educators. Scarleteen regularly donates copies of our sexual health guide, S.E.X. (DaCapo Press), to young people, parents and clinics in need. Scarleteen is also frequently asked to speak with the media about teen and young adult sexuality, sexual health and sexuality education, and has been included in numerous articles in print and online on both topics.
• Mentoring and leadership: Scarleteen provides ongoing mentorship and guidance for our volunteers, and participates in and supports youth leadership events and initiatives outside the organization. Scarleteen is considered by many to be an influential leader in progressive and inclusive sexuality education, and we have directly participated in and supported activism to influence and change public policy, like teaming up with the ACLU to fight the COPA.