bodies & health

​Periods! Emissions! Birth control! Understanding your body requires so much more than biology textbook diagrams... though these resources have some of those, too.

TeensHealth

Run by a children’s health non-profit in America, this is not the prettiest site in the world, but it has super comprehensive health information that isn’t covered in many other places, including gender- and anatomy-specific information. For those with autism, it includes a page of suggestions on how to understand and take care of your changing body.

Bedsider

This is a U.S.-based birth control support network that provides really comprehensive information: with facts on hormonal and non-hormonal forms birth control, comparisons between different methods (with a very useful matrix you can customise) and stories by people who have used each method.

Young Men’s Health

Young Men’s Health is run by Boston Children’s Hospital and covers a range of health topics for men and boys. Head to the "Sexual Health" section for info on consent, STIs or penis size; or the "Emotional Health" section for info on eating disorders, cliques, abusive relationships and more. The "Ask Us" section answers a different user-submitted question weekly, and the sheer range of topics covered is reassuring, if a bit overwhelming. Young Women's Health is an equivalent resource for women and girls.

Our Bodies, Ourselves

Our Bodies, Ourselves is a book about women's health and sexuality that was first published in 1970, but updated most recently in 2011. It contains information related to many aspects of women's health and sexuality, including: sexual health, sexual orientation, gender identity, birth control, abortion, pregnancy and childbirth, violence and abuse, and menopause. While it's available at the library as an e-book or physical book, the website has some useful excerpts.

Puberty Talk

This is a YouTube channel by Cath Hakanson, a UK-based sexual health nurse who also runs the website Sex Ed Rescue for parents. She answers questions and concerns submitted by viewers, such as "how many times should I masturbate each week", "I can't find the tampon hole" and "how do I clean my penis".

Clue

The app Clue allows users to keep track of their menstrual cycles and symptoms, cravings, mood, birth control methods and more. In addition, Clue publishes articles on female health: from myths about ovulation to a 101 on yeast infections and a useful "Can I get pregnant from that?" list. Another similar female health app is Flo, which also hosts articles written and reviewed by experts. (Note: Period tracker apps have been criticised for overly binary gendered language as well as privacy concerns.)

Period Nirvana

Period Nirvana was founded in 2020 by Kim Rosas, who provides extensive advice and suggestions on all manner of products for periods (especially menstrual cups). The “FAQ” and “Blog” sections of her website house this information; meanwhile, other resources like “Quiz” and “Chart” are helpful for drilling down into the specifics of each product. Period Nirvana is also on TikTok and YouTube.

Something Private

Something Private is a Singapore-made podcast covering "female health, identity, society and love" from a feminist point of view. Over the course of—to date—four seasons, the show has done episodes (most between 30 and 45 minutes) on menstruation, mental health, cysts, HPV, egg-freezing... and everything to do with the vagina.

What young people
in Singapore say

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Many online sex-ed resources are based out of Singapore, so some information may not be 100% relevant. Otherwise, most of the content is universal.

These sites are not a substitute for medical advice or formal sex-ed lessons, but they’ll provide a solid foundation. No matter how random your question, the answer is almost definitely on these pages.

If you find any other helpful resources, drop us a line at [email protected] and we’ll review them.