By Antonia Hoyle for the Daily Mail. Shannon Scrivens, 18, pictured can remember every detail of her first sexual encounter with another woman. Shannon Scrivens can remember every detail of her first sexual encounter with another woman: the vodka she had beforehand to release her inhibitions; the smell of jasmine perfume; the David Bowie album that played in the background.
RELATED ARTICLES
Watch Next
In this week's Sex Talk Realness, four anonymous women get real about what it's really like to be a bisexual female in this day and age. Woman A: Twenty-eight. Woman B: Twenty-one. Woman C: Twenty-two. Woman A: I had my first sexual experience when I was 8 with a girl, but I never really thought of it as "bad" or "gay" or even unusual. I never thought of myself as a straight person either. In high school, I began to experiment more with some of my girl friends, which led to me dating girls. I dated boys here and there until I hit a two-year span where I wasn't dating men at all during college, and even came out to my parents as gay. Then, later, I met a guy Woman B: I had always identified as straight; I hadn't really considered any other possibilities.
Beyond labels?
A group of teenagers is gathered at a party. Music's playing; smuggled booze is flowing. Two girls grin sheepishly at each other as a crowd goads them on. It's not an unusual scene, according to South Florida high school students, who say the newest trend for teen girls isn't wearing the latest designer jeans or driving a cool car, but declaring themselves to be bisexual. Some do it because guys like it. And some do it just because they can.
During the teen years, youth consider their sexual orientation, figuring out which gender they are attracted to physically and emotionally. Teens who identify as gay, lesbian or bisexual may find the road especially difficult. And the risk of suicide plans and attempts are high. Tragically, suicide is the second leading cause of death for American teens and young adults between the ages of 15 and And research shows that We have found it helpful to share the following hopeful information with parents and other adults who care about teens who have a minority sexual orientation. The American Psychiatric Association, the American Psychological Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics all provide clear statements that gay, lesbian or bisexual identities are not a mental illness. Second, a supportive family makes a big difference.