From the Mouths of Teens

The Birds-N-Bees Text Line, a service of APPCNC, has been active now for a week. I've had the honor of answering the first texts (46 thus far) and the questions have been telling. There's been a lot of concern over sexual identity, a lot of concern over relationships and a lot of concern about whether a given behavior is normal or not.

Sex is a minefield. Everyone does it, everyone has a sexual identity, but we're not allowed to discuss it in polite company. There's a ton of misinformation out there and some outright lies, and I think these texts show that teens are clearly confused, worried and concerned about their sexual lives and identities.

Let me assure you: whatever you're feeling, it's probably perfectly normal. If you have any medical concerns, call your doctor. It's what they do. And last, but not least, yes, everyone else goes through that, too and no, nobody likes to admit it.

Edit: I'm sorry to have to do this, but this service is only available in North Carolina, so I'm forced to edit this post to remove our number. If you're a teen in North Carolina you can still see our adverts on MySpace. Look for the ads on the right side of the page!