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Showing 117 posts tagged relationships
High-resIn a healthy relationship, partners:
- listen to one another
- can disagree without disrespecting one another
- talk about feelings
- listen to one another
- can tell one another the truth
- make decisions about how they spend their time
- are happy to have their own interests
Remember, you deserve respect.
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Happy Valentine’s Day! Snuggle up to your screen with these virtual date ideas.
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The COVID-19 pandemic means lots of people are physically isolating or sheltering in place to help stay healthy and prevent the spread of the virus in our communities. But it also means many people are trapped at home with abusive partners or family members, and face increased violence. Since the beginning of the global pandemic, reports of domestic violence are on the rise in the U.S. and across the world.
There’s never an excuse for abuse of any kind. Being stuck at home, job losses, and financial stress are difficult to deal with. But tough times aren’t a reason to abuse another person.
Signs of domestic violence include:
Sexual violence can be a big part of domestic violence. It can happen with someone you’ve known for a long time or with someone you’re in a relationship with. Women (especially women of color), LGBTQ+ identified people, and people with disabilities are more likely to experience sexual assault. Whether you’re married, in a relationship, or living with someone — there must be consent before sex every single time. Consent means actively agreeing to have sex or be sexual in any way. Any kind of sexual activity without consent is sexual assault, and it’s not ok.
Anyone can be a victim of abuse — no matter your gender, sexual orientation, marital status, or age. Emotional, verbal, or physical abuse is not your fault. You deserve to feel safe in your home and in your relationship. If you or someone you know has experienced this type of violence, you’re not alone. If you or someone you know is living with someone who hurts you, there are resources available to help you stay safe. The confidential and private resources below can provide help right away.
The National Domestic Violence Hotline is confidential and available 24/7 to give you resources and information, and answer questions about domestic violence or other unhealthy experiences in your relationship. They can provide tools and immediate support to help you find safety.
Call: 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)
En español: https://espanol.thehotline.org/
Individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing may use TTY 1-800-787-3224 or email nationaldeafhotline@adwas.org
loveisrespect is a safe and inclusive space for young people to access information and get help. They also provide information and help for friends, family members, teachers, and counselors who want to support someone who is abused.
Call: 1-866-331-9474
Text: LOVEIS to 22522*
En español: https://espanol.loveisrespect.org/
Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) helps prevent sexual violence, support survivors, and bring offendors to justice. The National Sexual Assault Hotline connects you with a trained staff member from your local sexual assault service provider.
Call 1-800-656-HOPE (4673)
En español: https://rainn.org/es
Someone asked us:
my boyfriend wants us to start sexting and sending nudes because we can’t see each other in person. i’m afraid if I say no he’ll break up with me. what do I do?
First thing first: it’s not ok for someone to pressure you into any sexual activity, and you have the right to say no to anything that makes you uncomfortable — no matter what. Even if you’re super into your boyfriend, even if they seem trustworthy, and even though the COVID-19 pandemic is forcing people to get creative in their dating lives.
This is a tough time for everyone, and lots of people are trying to figure out new ways to stay connected to the people in their lives while they’re social distancing. But that’s no excuse for someone to push your boundaries, and sexting can have serious consequences.
Once you hit “send” on a pic or text, it’s out of your control — even if you delete it or use Snapchat or other hidden photo apps, someone can screenshot, save, or copy what you send and spread it around. When you like or trust someone enough to send them a sext, you might never imagine that they’d show your private messages to other people. But sometimes people do harmful things that you’d never expect, especially after a fight or a breakup. And if you and/or your boyfriend are under 18, sexting can even be illegal.
When you really like someone, saying “no” might feel hard. So here are some ways you can respond:
You deserve to be with someone who cares about you and doesn’t pressure you to do things that make you feel bad, unsafe, or uncomfortable. If your boyfriend keeps pushing you after you’ve already said no, or threatens to break up with you if you don’t do what he asks, that’s a sign that the relationship isn’t healthy. Trust your gut: if something your partner’s doing feels uncool to you, it probably is. Read more about how to handle sexting, relationships, and online privacy.
-Kendall at Planned Parenthood
High-resYes, you still need to get consent — even if you’ve had sex before, and even if you’re in a relationship, live together, or are married. If your partner doesn’t want to have sex for any reason — including being worried about COVID-19 — it’s important to respect that.
Someone asked us:
should I worry about COVID 19 affecting my sex life? I’m in the beginning of a newer relationship and I didn’t know whether I should put anything on hold. any advice?
It’s a question that lots of people have right now: when we’re all supposed to be steering clear of each other in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, what does that mean for your sex life? These are uncertain times, but we’re here with you. And we’re going to be here in every way we can with health care and information you need. We’ve got some tips on how to keep your sex life afloat while we all wait this out.
First, let’s talk about the guidelines the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has laid out for us all to follow:
The best way to prevent getting COVID-19 is to avoid your exposure to the virus in the first place. That means avoiding close contact with people who may be ill, especially if you’re at higher risk of getting sick. The CDC recommends social distancing at this time, because someone can have COVID-19 right now without knowing it or showing any signs. That means we should all stay away from large gatherings and keep 6 feet between you and all other people when possible. In certain cities, people might need to stay inside except when it’s absolutely necessary for them to leave their home — like to go to the pharmacy or grocery store.
Obviously these rules don’t line up with the way we usually think about getting sexy with someone else — like being close, holding hands, hugging, making out, and having sex. Taking care of your sexual health and your overall health go hand-in-hand. So you might have to make some changes to your romantic life at this time, if possible.
This can be a very isolating and lonely time if you’re hitting “pause” on sex and relationships or can’t be with your sexual partners. But that doesn’t mean you can’t connect in other ways — people in long distance relationships do it all the time! There are things you can do to stay intimate and *ahem* busy, alone or with a partner:
If you have more sexy social distancing-friendly suggestions, drop ‘em when you reblog.
We also know that your sexual and reproductive health care can’t wait. We don’t want you to worry about getting your birth control, learning your pregnancy options, accessing STI tests, or receiving cancer screenings. We’re doing everything we can to get you the information and care you need. Whether we provide services online, by phone, in person or chat/text – we’re here with you.
Thanks for doing your best to keep yourself and your community healthy and safe. We’re in this together.
-Chelsea @ Planned Parenthood
When a relationship is healthy, you and your boo feel good about the relationship most of the time. Nobody’s relationship is perfect, and people make mistakes. But if you feel like you’re being treated badly, that can be a sign of an unhealthy relationship. Listen to your gut. Healthy relationships make you feel good about yourself — unhealthy relationships don’t
