Dating, Sex, and Consent

What it is

How dating works today, what consent means, and how to keep yourself safe and respected.

Why it helps you

You deserve relationships built on respect and choice. Clear basics protect your body and your heart.

Good to have first

Healthy Relationships and Red Flags.

This opens up

Confident, safe connection.

Where to get help

What consent means

Consent means both people clearly want to do something together. It is:

• Freely given. No pressure, guilt, threats, or being worn down.
• Changeable. You can say yes, then change your mind and stop. Anytime.
• Specific. Yes to kissing is not yes to anything else.
• Respected. A safe person hears “no” without anger, sulking, or punishment.

You may have been taught that your body isn’t yours to decide about. It is. You get to choose when, if, and with whom.

Shame-free answers about bodies and sex

Scarleteen Honest, kind articles about bodies, sex, consent, and relationships — the sex education many people never got.

• Cost: Free
• Who can use it: Anyone can read. Their help services are for ages 13 and up.
• How to start: Read articles on the site. For a quick private question, text 206-866-2279.
• Good to know: The text line is US only, most days of the year. Message and data rates may apply. It’s written for younger people, but adults find it very useful.

Bedsider Clear information on every kind of birth control, plus a tool to find a clinic near you.

• Cost: Free
• Who can use it: Anyone
• How to start: Try the birth control “method explorer,” or use the clinic finder.
• Good to know: Run by Power to Decide, a nonprofit.

Title X Family Planning Clinic Locator A government map of family planning clinics. These clinics offer birth control, STI (sexually transmitted infection) testing, and other care.

• Cost: Low-cost or free, based on your income
• Who can use it: Anyone
• How to start: Enter your ZIP code. Call the clinic first and ask: “What does a visit cost if I don’t have insurance?”
• Good to know: Some clinics may have changed or closed since 2025, so call before you go. They may ask about income to set your price.

If something feels wrong

love is respect Advocates who help you figure out if a dating relationship is healthy, and what to do if it isn’t.

• Cost: Free
• Who can use it: Teens, young adults, and the people who care about them
• How to start: Call 1-866-331-9474, text LOVEIS to 22522, or chat online.
• Good to know: Open 24/7.

RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline Private support after any unwanted sexual contact — whether it happened today or years ago.

• Cost: Free
• Who can use it: Survivors of sexual violence and people who care about them
• How to start: Call 1-800-656-4673, text HOPE to 64673, or chat online.
• Good to know: Open 24/7. You don’t have to give your name or location. If you do share them and you’re under 18 or a vulnerable adult, RAINN must report to authorities.

Dating apps and online safety

Swipe Safely A short dating-app safety guide from the Safety Net Project (part of the National Network to End Domestic Violence).

• Cost: Free
• Who can use it: Anyone
• How to start: Read it before you make a profile.
• Good to know: Key tips are in the box below.

Before and during a first date

• Use your first name only. Don’t link your social media.
• Check your photos for things that show where you live or work, like a street sign or name tag.
• Don’t share your home address or real phone number early on. Keep chatting inside the app at first.
• Meet in a busy public place. Get there and home on your own.
• Tell a friend where you’re going, who you’re meeting, and when you’ll be back.
• You can leave at any time. You don’t owe anyone an explanation.

Cyber Civil Rights Initiative Crisis Helpline Help if someone shared — or threatens to share — your private sexual photos or videos.

• Cost: Free
• Who can use it: People in the US
• How to start: Call 1-844-878-2274.
• Good to know: Open 24/7. Help in most languages. They give support and next steps, not legal advice.

StopNCII.org and Take It Down Free tools that help stop private sexual images from spreading on big websites and apps. Your photo stays on your phone; only a “digital fingerprint” is sent.

• Cost: Free
• Who can use it: StopNCII is for images taken when you were 18 or older. Take It Down is for images taken when you were under 18.
• How to start: Go to the right site and follow the steps on the phone or computer that has the image.
• Good to know: Take It Down lets you stay anonymous.

FTC: Romance Scams How scammers pose as a love interest to get money.

• Cost: Free
• Who can use it: Anyone
• How to start: Read the warning signs. Report scams at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
• Good to know: The main rule: never send money or gifts to someone you haven’t met in person.

If you only do one thing first

Read a few articles on Scarleteen about consent and boundaries. It’s private, free, and kind. No question is too basic, and you don’t need an account.

Watch out for

• A match who can’t meet or video chat. They’re “overseas,” “on an oil rig,” or “in the military,” and soon need money or want to teach you crypto investing. This is a scam. Stop talking to them.
• Sextortion. Someone gets a nude photo, then threatens to share it unless you pay. Don’t pay — it usually leads to more demands. Stop replying, save screenshots, and call the CCRI helpline.
• Pressure. Asking over and over, sulking, or “if you loved me you would” is not consent. It’s a red flag.
• Clinics that aren’t what they seem. Some “pregnancy centers” look medical but don’t offer birth control or full care. Use the Title X locator or Bedsider’s clinic finder, and ask what services a place offers before you go.