Sexuality

Sexual feelings develop and change over time, you may be feeling confused or anxious about who you are sexually.

Being gay or lesbian is unlikely to be a sudden feeling. It is something that is more likely to develop over time as you grow up. Working out and understanding whether you are gay or lesbian can take a long time and will most likely involve many different feelings.

If you are concerned about your sexuality, you may think and worry that you have to talk to your parents, friends and family straight away about ‘coming out’ - take your time, let your feelings develop naturally and don’t do anything in a rush!

Hearing about other peoples’ experiences of being gay, talking through when, or whether, to ‘come out’ can really help. Remember - it’s up to you who, what and when you tell - or don’t tell. There are agencies locally and nationally who can support you with all issues around sexuality and the relationships it can involve.

Resources

For more information or advice, take a look at the BBC Onelife website (Relationships section), which contains advice on how to deal with your feelings about your sexuality.