Youth, teens & young adults: chat with live helpline experts about safe sexual thoughts & behaviors.
How the WhatsOK helpline works.
Our helpline is a free way for youth, teens, and young adults to chat with counselors about sexual feelings, interests, thoughts and behaviors.
We are not here to pressure you, lecture you or judge you. All youth deserve support.
Do you have questions about sexual behaviors? Our helpline counselors are ready to connect to youth.
Every helpline counselor has been specifically trained on sexual development, sexual health, safe, and unsafe sexual behavior, and child sexual abuse and prevention for youth, teens, and young adults.
Our expert counselors are compassionate and non-judgmental, and they have heard people share some very difficult concerns, including worries that their own behaviors might be harmful and/or illegal.
No matter what you’re reaching out about, there’s nothing that will shock or scare them — and they want to help you!
Are you concerned about how our helpline counselors will respond? We offer judgement-free help.
Helpline counselors listen to your concerns, provide support, resources, feedback, and next step guidance. They can help youth, teenagers, and young adults problem-solve, address barriers that get in the way of safe decision making, and provide accurate information to help you determine the next steps available, including taking responsibility to keep everyone safe. Helpline counselors may share links to other organizations, information on how to find a therapist, or other youth helplines that can offer support, depending on what an individual’s incoming needs are.
Despite having “counselor” in their title, they are not therapists or mental health counselors and do not provide therapy, which means that they can’t provide coping skills for mental health conditions, nor can they diagnose or provide ongoing counseling or offer ongoing support like a therapist can. They do not provide legal or treatment services, but can help find resources for these if needed. Our helpline counselors are here to help support you to the next step in your journey, whatever that looks like for you.
Do you worry about cost & confidentiality? You don’t have to. Our services are free & confidential.
The helpline is confidential.* We do not use caller or text IDs. Chat IP addresses are made invisible to our helpline, and we do not attempt to trace IP addresses. To maintain your confidentiality, we never need or ask for any identifying details, such as last names, addresses, or phone numbers. Our counselors do not need any of these details to provide you with helpful guidance and resources to take appropriate action.
If identifying information is provided and there is a crime being committed, we will respond as legally required. This could include making a report to authorities and sharing any information given to us. View our full privacy policy. If you have any questions about confidentiality, please ask us at the beginning of your helpline conversation or in your email.
Please, note:
We are not a substitute for professional or medical help, and we do not offer counseling services. We are also not a referral program and cannot make referrals to local professionals and services.
The helpline is not guaranteed to be anonymous. We do not use caller or text IDs. Chat IP addresses are made invisible to our helpline, and we do not attempt to trace IP addresses. To maintain your anonymity, we never need or ask for any identifying details, such as last names, addresses, or phone numbers. However, due to technological advancements, we can’t fully guarantee anonymity.
Questions youth ask the helpline.
We can help you with any question about sexual safety, sexual thoughts and behaviors. There’s no need to be embarrassed by whatever question you have. (As professional counselors, we hear LOTS of questions every day, and we don’t judge.) Some common questions we get are:
Is this normal sexual behavior? Is it safe?
Is what I’m attracted to “normal”?
What do I do if my sexual behaviors have harmed someone?
What do I do if I’m worried about someone else’s sexual interests or behaviors?
What kind of help is available if I’m struggling with safe sexual behaviors or worried about my attractions?
Where can I find help if I’ve been sexually abused?
How can I stay safe in online relationships? Are my online viewing behaviors safe, healthy, and legal?
How do I ask for help?
Choose your preferred way to connect.
Text or Chat
Text WHATSOK to 1.888.532.0550 | Chat starting here.
#1
You will be placed in the queue and will get an automated message confirming that a WhatsOK counselor will be with you shortly.
The wait is typically under 5 minutes, except in times where there is a high volume of calls, chats or texts.
#2
As soon as a counselor is available they will initiate the chat or text with you and welcome you to share a bit about any questions or concerns you might have.
#3
Ask your questions freely. Please share what feels comfortable at your own pace. Do not feel pressured to share anything you don’t want to. WhatsOK counselors are here to provide empathetic, non judgemental support for any concern you might have.
The counselor may ask you follow-up questions to better understand your situation and to best be able to help you.
#4
We’ll share information, connect you with resources and help you think about your next steps. WhatsOK counselors will give you accurate information about sexual safety, behavior and resources. We’ll help you identify next steps and what you need in order to take them if you wish.
We don’t provide ongoing therapy, legal, medical or advocacy services. We don’t give referrals to specific people but will help you learn where you can ask for professional help if wanted.
#5
You’ll message back and forth until you feel like you’ve gotten what you need. Conversations typically last 15 to 45 minutes.
After the conversation, you’ll get a link to an anonymous survey. Your honest feedback helps us provide the best possible support to everyone.
You can email our helpline any time. We respond as soon as we can, but it may take up to 3 business days. As with any conversation with WhatsOK, you don’t need to give us specific details like last names, addresses or phone numbers. Email us via our form.
Call
Call 844.WHATSOK (844.942.8765)
Our phones are open during our operating hours. If we’re on another call or if we are not open, you’ll hear our voicemail. Try calling again during our operating hours, or you can reach out via email any time day or night – we’ll get back to you as soon as we can. Email us via our form.