Scarleteen
Scarleteen is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates a global digital platform delivering free, inclusive sex, relationships, and sexual-health education and direct support services to users primarily aged 15–30, funded entirely by individual donations and book sales.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1998
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Scarleteen does
Scarleteen is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating a global digital platform that delivers comprehensive, inclusive sex, relationships, and sexual-health education and direct support to users primarily aged 15–30, with most users between 15 and 30 and a roughly even split between US/UK/Australia and the rest of the world. The organization was founded in December 1998 by Heather Corinna, who remains executive director; the team consists of a small number of part-time paid staff supplemented by under-30 volunteers, freelance writers, educators, consultants, and illustrators.
The platform comprises free online text content (thousands of original, medically fact-checked articles, guides, factsheets, and advice answers organized by topic), direct-service channels (moderated message boards available 24/7, a scheduled live chat staffed by trained staff and volunteers, a 24/7 US SMS/text line at 206-866-2279, advice columns, and an r/QueerSexEdForAll subreddit), a curated directory of 187 vetted external resources for healthcare and crisis referrals, offline teen-outreach education delivered at clinics, schools, community groups, and teen homeless/transitional shelters, and a published book, 'S.E.X.: The All-You-Need-to-Know Sexuality Guide to Get You Through Your Teens and Twenties' (Lambda Literary Award nominee, 2nd edition 2016). Distribution is wholly direct-to-consumer and self-serve across owned web, boards, chat, SMS, and social properties (Instagram, Tumblr, Bluesky, Reddit); no native mobile app is offered and no proprietary technology stack, patents, or AI capabilities are disclosed.
Revenue is generated entirely through individual donations (website, employer matching, donor-advised funds) and book sales; the organization explicitly states it has no state, federal, or institutional funding and is not affiliated with any other organization, company, or governmental agency. Growth is community-led, driven by organic search, word-of-mouth among young people, social sharing, and earned media citations by clinicians, educators, and curricula.
Scarleteen firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Scarleteen
- Legal name
- Scarleteen
- Website
- https://scarleteen.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1998
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Scarleteen is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates a global digital platform delivering free, inclusive sex, relationships, and sexual-health education and direct support services to users primarily aged 15–30, funded entirely by individual donations and book sales.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Scarleteen industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Sexuality Education
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (611710), Child and Youth Services (62411)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Sexual & Reproductive Health Services (EDALAFAG)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Sexual Health & Relationship Wellness Education (EDAAAHAM)
Keywords
Where Scarleteen is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Scarleteen business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Scarleteen relies entirely on donations from individuals. The organization explicitly states it has no state, federal, or institutional funding. They accept donations through their website, employer donation-matching, and donor-advised funds (DAFs).
- S.E.X. Book Sales: The organization publishes and sells 'S.E.X.: The All-You-Need-to-Know Sexuality Guide to Get You Through Your Teens and Twenties' - a Lambda Literary Award nominee book currently in its 2nd edition (2016). Proceeds support operations.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels10 records
Scarleteen product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Scarleteen is a digital clearinghouse providing free, comprehensive, and inclusive sex and relationships education, information, and support to young people ages 13+ (primary audience 15–30). Its core offering is thousands of original, medically-accurate articles, guides, factsheets and advice answers, complemented by multi-channel direct services—moderated message boards, real-time live chat, and a 24/7 SMS/text helpline—staffed by trained personnel and peer volunteers. The organization also conducts offline teen outreach education at clinics, schools, and youth shelters, and publishes the Lambda Literary Award-nominated book "S.E.X.: The All-You-Need-to-Know Sexuality Guide to Get You Through Your Teens and Twenties."
Product overview
Scarleteen is a digital clearinghouse providing free, comprehensive, and inclusive sex and relationships education, information, and support. The organization operates a multi-channel platform consisting of online text-based content (thousands of articles and guides), direct interactive services (message boards, live chat, SMS/text service, advice columns), an offline outreach education program, and a published book ('All About S.E.X.: The Scarleteen Book!'). The platform also maintains an external resources directory with 187 vetted resources. All services center young people and are provided at no cost, with direct services available to users age 13 and up.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Online Text-Based Content Thousands of original, comprehensive, and medically accurate articles, guides, factsheets, and advice answers on sexuality, health, and relationships, freely available via scarleteen.com/read and organized by topic categories. Targeted at young people (primarily ages 15–30) seeking credible, inclusive sex and relationship information.
- Message Boards 24/7 moderated community forums at boards.scarleteen.com where young people can engage with staff, trained peer volunteers, and other users on sexuality, relationships, and identity topics for support, discussion, and resource discovery.
- Text/SMS Service Free SMS/text helpline at (206) 866-2279 offering quick questions and answers on sexuality and relationships to US-based texters, available 24/7 most days of the year.
- Live Chat Real-time, private live chat service staffed by trained Scarleteen staff and volunteers, providing one-on-one support for users who prefer more privacy or longer interactions.
- Advice Columns Column-style published answers to unique or complex issues submitted by users, drafted by staff after review; serves as both a direct service and as additional on-site reference content.
- External Resources Directory Curated directory of 187 vetted external resources covering sexual/reproductive healthcare, mental healthcare, LGBTQIA+ support, local children and family services, crisis care, books, and community centers, with optional staff accompaniment for screening/intake calls.
- Offline Teen Outreach Education Offline education, support, and training delivered at sexual/reproductive health clinics, community and school groups, teen homeless/transitional shelters, colleges, universities, community centers, and conferences, as well as expert information provided to media (articles, books, podcasts, studies).
- All About S.E.X.: The Scarleteen Book! Published comprehensive sex and relationships book for young people covering topics from STIs to sexual orientation, body image to birth control; Lambda Literary Award nominee available in its 2nd edition, with proceeds supporting operations.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 5 million annual visitors from around the world
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Scarleteen
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Scarleteen technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Scarleteen partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union)notableScarleteen teamed up with the ACLU to fight COPA (Child Online Protection Act), participating in activism to influence and change public policy related to online content and youth protection.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Scarleteen competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- AMAZE: AMAZE is a global digital sex education resource for adolescents (ages 10-14 primarily), producing videos and educator tools. Directly comparable to Scarleteen as a youth-focused, online-first, medically accurate sex education platform with similar mission and target demographic.
- Teen Health Source: Teen Health Source is a Toronto-based sexual health information service for youth by Planned Parenthood Toronto. It mirrors Scarleteen's direct-service model (phone, text, chat, email) for a youth audience, though it operates regionally in Canada.
- Advocates for Youth: Advocates for Youth is a national nonprofit focused on adolescent sexual health through advocacy, education, and youth leadership. Comparable to Scarleteen in mission, target demographic, and nonprofit structure, though it leans more heavily on advocacy and policy work.
- Bedsider: Bedsider is an online birth control support resource from Power to Decide, targeting young adults. It is comparable to Scarleteen as a free, digital-first, youth-targeted sexual and reproductive health information platform with direct service elements.
- Sex, Etc. Sex, Etc. is a sexuality education resource by Answer (Rutgers University) targeting teens. It overlaps with Scarleteen in providing youth-focused sex education content, though it is more tied to institutional K-12 education contexts.
- Go Ask Alice!: Go Ask Alice! is Columbia University's health Q&A resource, with a strong focus on sexual and reproductive health questions from young adults. It is comparable to Scarleteen as a long-running, text-based, expert-edited Q&A platform for sexual and reproductive health.
- Our Bodies Ourselves: Our Bodies Ourselves is a nonprofit producing feminist, inclusive women's and girls' health and sexuality education resources. It is similar to Scarleteen in progressive, grassroots feminist publishing of health information, though it targets a broader demographic and focuses on women's health writ large.
Emerging players
- The Trevor Project: The Trevor Project provides crisis intervention and mental health support for LGBTQ+ young people, with similar inclusive, queer-centered positioning and direct-service channels (chat, text, phone). Comparable to Scarleteen for its LGBTQIA+ youth focus and direct-service model, though Trevor is much larger and crisis-focused.
Broad incumbents
- Planned Parenthood Federation of America: Planned Parenthood is the largest U.S. provider of sexual and reproductive health information and services. Its education arm (Roo, Chat/Text, and online content) overlaps with Scarleteen's digital sex education and direct-service offerings, though PPA operates at vastly greater scale with clinical services.
Regional players
- Love Matters (Rutgers/Choices): Love Matters is a global digital sex education platform originally developed by Rutgers with localizations in Africa and Asia. It is comparable to Scarleteen in providing digital, youth-focused, medically accurate sex education content, though it focuses on emerging markets rather than English-speaking Western youth.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Scarleteen social profiles
Digital presenceScarleteen financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Scarleteen leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Scarleteen funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Scarleteen M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Scarleteen
What does Scarleteen do?
Scarleteen is a digital clearinghouse providing free, comprehensive, and inclusive sex and relationships education, information, and support to young people ages 13+ (primary audience 15–30). Its core offering is thousands of original, medically-accurate articles, guides, factsheets and advice answers, complemented by multi-channel direct services—moderated message boards, real-time live chat, and a 24/7 SMS/text helpline—staffed by trained personnel and peer volunteers. The organization also conducts offline teen outreach education at clinics, schools, and youth shelters, and publishes the Lambda Literary Award-nominated book "S.E.X.: The All-You-Need-to-Know Sexuality Guide to Get You Through Your Teens and Twenties."
Is Scarleteen a public or private company?
Scarleteen is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Scarleteen founded?
Scarleteen was founded in 1998. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Scarleteen based?
Scarleteen is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does Scarleteen make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Donations and Charitable Contributions are the primary driver. The others are S.E.X. Book Sales.
Who are Scarleteen's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are AMAZE, Teen Health Source, Advocates for Youth, Bedsider, Sex, Etc., Go Ask Alice! and Our Bodies Ourselves. The Trevor Project is listed as an emerging player. Planned Parenthood Federation of America is listed as a broad incumbent. Love Matters (Rutgers/Choices) is listed as a regional player.
Does Scarleteen have an API?
No public API is recorded for Scarleteen.
What industry is Scarleteen in?
Scarleteen's product category is Sexuality Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDALAFAG, Sexual & Reproductive Health Services, with a secondary code of EDAAAHAM, Sexual Health & Relationship Wellness Education. Its NAICS code is 611710 and its SIC code is 8200.