Who we are as sexual beings and what we do and don’t enjoy as part of our intimate lives is very personal. That’s why it’s up to each of us to understand ourselves and our partners/potential partners, do the work to remove barriers to healthy sexuality and find ways to enjoy healthy sexuality for as long as we can and want. Fortunately, there are many resources that can help and most of them are just a click or a phone call away.
Many of the organizations below maintain HOTLINES and referral services for getting immediate help.
Inclusion in this list does not indicate a recommendation or endorsement by HealthySex.com. Use your own judgment when contacting any of these organizations or websites.
Advocates for Youth
(202) 419-3420
Provides extensive information for young people to make informed and responsible decisions about their sexual health, as well as numerous articles on and guidelines to help parents talk to their children about sexuality.
American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT)
(703) 838-9808
A good source of referrals for finding licensed marriage and family counselors in your community and consumer information on important issues affecting marriages and families.
American Association of Sex Educators, Counselors, and Therapists (AASECT)
(202) 449-1099
A national organization that helps locate qualified sex therapists and counselors in your region, as well as providing links to resources on human sexuality and sexual health. AASECT has professionals who provide services in Spanish.
Esta organización nacional brinda una lista de sexo terapeutas certificadas con ubicación en Estados Unidos y también brindan información sobre sexualidad humana y salud sexual. En esta red hay profesionales que ofrecen servicios en español.
American Sexual Health Association – La Asociación Americana de la Salud Sexual (ASHA)
This website is filled with sections on sexual anatomy, sexual health, sexual behavior, relationship concerns, sexual pleasure, and more. They provide a Spanish language version of their site Quiero Saber.
Center for Sex Education (CSE)
This organization focuses on providing sexuality educators with user-friendly materials for teaching all ages of students on a wide range of sexuality topics. They host a national conference and provide members with an online resource called the Sex Ed Network and maintain an on-line Sex Ed store with resources for parents and children.
Centers for Disease Control & Prevention: Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs)
(800) 232-4636, (888) 232-6348 TTY
(in English and Spanish)
Centros para el Control y la Prevención de Enfermedades
The CDC (Center for Disease Control) runs the national STD/HIV HOTLINE. On their website they provide fact sheets with information on recognizing and treating gonorrhea, genital herpes, chlamydia, bacterial vaginosis (BV), HIV/AIDS, and other STDs. Materials are available in multiple languages, including Spanish (en Español), Chinese, and Russian.
El Centro de Control de Enfermedades brinda información sobre una amplia gama de enfermedades de transmisión sexual.
Centros de justicia para las mujeres – México
Los Centros de Justicia para las Mujeres son agencias de gobierno que dan atención con perspectiva de género a mujeres en situación de violencia. Sus servicios incluyen atención legal, médica, psicológica, proyectos de empoderamiento económico, espacios de ludoteca y refugio temporal. Puedes encontrar un directorio de todos los Centros de Justicia en su sitio web.
Codependents of Sex Addicts (COSA)
(763) 537-6904
A 12-step recovery program for people whose lives have been affected by another person’s compulsive sexual behavior. Provides information on meetings and resources.
Culture Reframed
A resource for parents, teens, teachers, and others, that provides research-based materials that educate about the impact of pornography on youth. They have programs that support healthy child development and sexual health and give parents and teens the tools they need to make informed healthy decisions about pornography.
Dr. Carnes’ Resources for Sex Addiction & Recovery
(866) 575-6853 or (480) 575-6853
This website contains information about sexual addiction, offers a Sexual Addiction Screening Test to help assess whether a person has a sexual addiction problem, maintains a therapist referral list, and has links to many sexual addiction recovery resources.
Forge
(414) 559-2123
Provides resources and support for transgender and non-binary individuals, survivors of violence, and their family and friends.
Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network
GLSEN supports the right for all K-12 students to have a safe, supportive, and LGBTQ-inclusive education. They work to improve curriculum, polices, and students’ personal experiences.
Go Ask Alice!
A website sponsored and run by health professionals at Columbia University. They receive millions of visitors per month asking a wide variety of questions. The site has a section devoted to answering questions concerning sexual behavior, sexual health and reproduction.
International Institute for Trauma & Addiction Professionals (IITAP)
(408) 575-6853
This organization provides professional training and certification in treating compulsive, addictive, and problematic sexual behavior. They maintain a therapist directory and resources for public use.
International Society for the Study of Women’s Sexual Health (ISSWSH)
(952) 683-9025
This academic and medical-related organization provides opportunities for women’s sexual health researchers and practitioners to share information via meetings and publications. They also provide the public with accurate information about women’s sexuality and sexual health.
Kinsey Institute
(812) 855-7686
The Institute does sexuality research, education, and outreach. They have a section on their website of frequently asked questions (FAQS) on a wide range of sexuality topics including masturbation, sexual identity, BDSM, condoms, hormones, sexual assault, orgasm, sex work, and sex in relationships.
MaleSurvivor
Information, resources and support for men who were sexually victimized as children, adolescents or adults. They provide a therapist directory and suggestions for how to find a good therapist.
Mental Help Net
This website is a helpful resource for people in addiction recovery. They address a wide-range of mental health and substance-abuse related topics, and provide numerous articles on sexual health and improving mental health.
National Sexual Violence Resource Center
(877) 739-3895
NSVRC runs a 24-hour HOTLINE providing support, education, and information for individuals wanting help handling or leaving domestic violence situations.
NSVRC brinda atención telefónica en crisis las veinticuatro horas del día. También brindan información y educación para personas en situación de violencia que necesitan apoyo o quieren dejar una relación por violencia doméstica. Su sitio web sobre “Mes de la Conciencia sobre la Violencia Sexual” (SAAM) 2018 contiene un glosario en español con temas de sexualidad, cómo por ejemplo, sexualidad saludable y prevención, y un botiquín de concientización sobre el abuso y la agresión sexual.
National Domestic Violence HOTLINE
(800) 799-7233, (800) 787-3224 TTY
A 24-hour hotline providing support, education and information for individuals wanting help handling or leaving domestic violence situations.
La línea telefónica nacional de violencia doméstica brinda atención las 24 horas del día y tienen intercesoras que hablan español para apoyar a víctimas en situación de violencia.
New York On-line Access to Health (NOAH)
Maintains links to a variety of helpful o-line articles covering a wide variety of sexuality topics, including sexual orientation, dating, sexual abuse prevention, sexual pleasuring, and sexual health.
1in6 (One-in-Six) National Helpline for Men Who Were Sexually Abused or Assaulted
Maintains a free and anonymous helpline chat service for men who have experienced sexual abuse or assault and for those who care about them.
PFLAG
Provides information, support and resources for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) people, their parents and families, and allies. Local chapters in many communities.
Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA)
(800) 230-PLAN (7526).
An organization that oversees a network of health centers throughout the nation that provide sex education, sexuality information, and reproductive health care to a broad range of people. They also provide parents and teachers with age-appropriate books and sex education materials.
Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN)
En Español
HOTLINE (800) 656-4673 (in English y Español)
The nation’s largest organization to address sexual assault and abuse. They carry out programs to prevent sexual abuse and provide a free 24-hour hotline for victims and survivors of sexual abuse, rape, and domestic violence.
RAINN es la línea telefónica de ayuda nacional, en Estados Unidos, para apoyar a personas que han vivido violencia sexual. Ésta línea es segura y confidencial y ofrece apoyo los 365 días del año, las 24 horas del día a sobrevivientes y sus familias. RAINN Está afiliada con más de 1000 organizaciones locales en todo el país. Además tienen programas para prevenir la violencia sexual, ayudar a sobrevivientes y garantizar que los agresores sean juzgados.
Scarleteen: Sex Ed for the Real World
A grassroots, volunteer-run organization providing online information on sexuality and relationships for teens and emerging adults. They are committed to being inclusive, comprehensive, and supportive.
Sex Addicts Anonymous (SAA)
(800) 477-8191
This group helps people overcome sexually compulsive and addictive behavior through a 12-step fellowship. They provide extensive referral information for finding an SAA meeting in your área. Also provides SAA meetings via Internet chat and telephone conference calls.
Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous (SLAA)
A 12-step program that helps participants counter the destructive consequences of sex and love addiction. They also provide referrals to local meetings, as well as online meetings and regional teleconference calls.
Sexuality Resources – A Woman’s Touch
Ellen Barnard, an AASECT certified sex educator and owner of the A Woman’s Touch sex boutique in Madison, Wisconsin, provides answers to commonly asked questions about sex and relationships.
Society for the Advancement of Sexual Health (SASH)
(610) 348-4783
This organization provides a national directory of qualified therapists who treat individuals and families dealing with sexually compulsive and addictive behaviors, and pornography problems. They also provide articles on sexual health and sexual addiction recovery.
Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS)
(202)265-2405
SIECUS advances sex education through advocacy, policy and coalition building. They have information on the importance and effectiveness of sex ed to general health and societal well-being. They have a community action tool kit for people wanting to improve sex education in their local communities.
The Society for the Scientific Study of Sex (SSSS)
(610) 443-3100
An international organization of diverse professionals dedicated to advancing knowledge of sexuality and sexual research. They put on an annual conference and publish the Journal of Sex Research and other sexuality resources. SSSS maintains an on-line directory of sexuality experts.
Society for Sex Therapy & Research (SSTAR)
(847) 647-8832
They are a community of professionals from diverse disciplines who have established clinical and/or research interests in human sexual concerns. They offer meetings, newsletters, an email listserve, and an annual conference.
What’s OK?
(888) 532.0550
This non-shaming online support service is geared toward youth and young adults who have questions and concerns about their own or someone else’s sexual behaviors. They provide direct answers to difficult questions about sexual consent, boundaries, actions, thoughts, and fantasies, and run a helpline and other helpful resources. What’s OK? is affiliated with Stop It Now!, a child abuse prevention program affiliated with Klingberg Family Centers and the World Childhood Foundation.
World Association for Sexual Health (WAS)
secretariat@worldsexualhealth.net
WAS is a multidisciplinary, world-wide organization that promotes sexual health throughout the world. They develop the understanding of human sexuality and support sexual rights for all individuals. They sponsor a World Sexual Health Day each year on September 4th.
WAS es una organización internacional que dentro de su membresía incluye a líderes y profesionales de países donde se habla español. Promueven la salud sexual a lo largo del mundo por medio de la sexología y los derechos sexuales para todas y todos y patrocinan el “Día Mundial de la Salud Sexual” recocido internacionalmente.
