Health Info Zone
Scroll down the page or use the search bar to check out the Health information section that interests you.
Addiction
Addiction is when you feel like you can’t stop doing something to the point where it's taking over your life or causing you problems. Some behaviours can quickly become unbreakable habits and young people (and adults!) can become addicted to lots of different things. Drugs and alcohol are the obvious…
ADHD
ADHD stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, but what does that actually mean? A person with ADHD has differences in brain development and brain activity. Put simply, your brain works differently compared with someone who doesn’t have ADHD. So you learn in a different way, and you may sometimes behave…
Alcohol
It’s important to be well informed at any time about alcohol and the effects and consequences. It’s also important to know that there is non judgmental help and support out there for you. We asked you about your experience of alcohol when it comes to sex or relationships and it…
Anger
Everyone feels angry sometimes, it is normal and healthy to become angry when there is good reason to do so. It is important to do something with those angry feelings and not bottle them up. losing your temper can make things worse. What makes you angry? A few things that…
Anxiety
Anxiety is a word used to describe feelings of worry and fear. It can include both the emotional and physical feelings we might have when we are worried or nervous about something. Like knots in your tummy, feeling sick, your heart racing, panic attacks feeling out of control or unable to…
Are You Worried About How You Treat People?
Are you worried about how you treat people? Sometimes people, especially young people who are still growing, developing and learning, need help to understand why they behave in certain ways. Abusing or hurting someone in any way is not okay, and asking for support if you're unsure or scared that you're…
ASK A QUESTION ON COOL2TALK
Your questions answered accurately and without judgement within 24 hours. A safe space for young people age 12 and over living in Tayside, The Western Isles, Dumfries and Galloway and Argyll and Bute. Simply click the ‘Ask A Question’ button below to reach out and ask the cool2talk team your question, then check back to read an…
Autism
What is Autism? Autism is a lifelong developmental disorder which affects how people communicate and interact with the world. One in 100 people are on the autism spectrum and there are around 700,000 autistic adults and children in the UK. Autism is a spectrum condition and affects people in different…
Back to school blues?
That time of year again? :( You've had six weeks of late nights, long lies and lots of fun but now it's time to head back to school! You might be feeling a mix of emotions about the summer holidays coming to an end. It's totally normal to feel a…
Breasts, Vulvas and Vaginas
How much do you really know, or think you know, about these body parts? Lots of people have worries or questions about these bits of their bodies. Everyone's breasts, vulva and vagina are unique. There is no "normal", but knowing your body better can help you to understand and accept…
British Sign Language (BSL)
Find out more about accessible health information in BSL format on the NHS Inform website (HERE). You'll find helpful videos that cover Health Rights, Healthy Living, Sexual Health, Mental Health and more. There's also a useful webchat tool that allows you to speak to a member of the NHS Inform…
Bullying
Bullying can happen anywhere, online, at home or at school, it can also happen to anyone, but nobody has the right to hurt you or make you feel bad. What is Bullying? being called names being teased, put down or humiliated being physically pushed about having things taken off you…
CAMHS (Child & adolescent mental health services)
Young people and families told CAMHS they needed access to information, guidance and resources they could trust when it comes to mental health and young people. In response NHS Tayside Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service launched its new webpage. Check out the new webpage HERE and for regular updates…
Cannabis
What is Cannabis? Cannabis is one of the most commonly used illegal drugs in the UK and is popular amongst young people. It has lots of slang names but you might've heard it being called names like weed, smoke, green, bud or ganja. Why do people use cannabis? Like most…
Condoms
Condoms Condoms are made of very thin latex (rubber) and are designed to cover the penis (or sex toys) in order to stop fluids being transferred between partners. Using a condom is the only way to protect against pregnancy AND sexually transmitted infections You can use condoms for Anal, Oral…
Confidentiality around sexual health
We know that confidentiality is really important to you when you’re looking for sexual health and relationships information and going to a service. If I go to a drop-in or sexual health service, will I get asked personal questions? Yes, they may ask you questions about your health and relationships…
Consent, Rights & Responsibilities
Consent...what does it really mean? Consent, Rights & Responsibilities You may have heard the word “consent” when it comes to sex and relationships, but what does it mean? The legal age of consent in Scotland is 16. You can find out more about this in our sex and the law section. However,…
Contraception
What is it & where to get it Contraception refers to the methods that are used to prevent pregnancy. Some methods of contraception can also be used to prevent sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Contraception is FREE on the NHS for all ages. All consultations are confidential unless someone is at…
Coping with loss and grief
The death of someone you care about can be very difficult. It's natural to have strong reactions when someone you love or are close to dies. When someone dies, there's no right or wrong way you should feel. Everyone experiences bereavement differently. But you don’t have to cope on your…
Counselling in Tayside Schools
Counselling in Tayside Schools All schools in Tayside now have counsellors available. Counselling is about having a safe, confidential space to talk and explore issues. A counsellor is trained to help you think about worries and problems that might be affecting your emotional health and wellbeing. They can help you…
CSE Child Sexual Exploitation
Child sexual exploitation is happening to girls and boys across Scotland. It can start online and takes many forms. Someone asking you to, or making you, do stuff you’re uncomfortable with? Worried about a friend? Or, want to know how to keep yourself safe? We’re here to offer the information and advice…
Drugs and Keeping Safe
What Are Drugs? A drug is any substance that causes a temporary change in your body and/or your mind when you take it. Some drugs (like medicines) are designed to help us. They can relieve pain or help us to fight infection. However, they can be dangerous if you take more…
Eating disorders
We all have different appetites, likes or dislikes, and access to different foods, so we all eat differently. We are all different shapes and sizes - all unique. We live in a society where images and information we see online and in the media can make us feel like we…
EmBody to Empower
'EmBody to EmPower' is a resource and campaign by 'The Young Women's Movement' designed by and for young women to help better understand and access healthcare. The campaign aims to help young women learn more about how to access the healthcare they deserve and find out how they can get…
Emergency Contraception
Condoms burst, pills get missed or we have sex without a condom and regret it later. Luckily, it's possible to get emergency contraception that will work to stop pregnancy after you've had sex. BUT Emergency contraception should never be used as an alternative to normal contraception. There are three types of emergency…
Exam Stress
It is unusual for students to sail through school without experiencing some issues and stressing about exams is really common. There is a lot of pressure to get good results and the stress and strains of school life can sometimes feel too much. The important thing is to recognise there's…
Exploitation
Exploitation - this means someone using another person for their own gain. These gains might include sexual pleasure, power, status or financial or criminal gain. Some of the ways young people are exploited include involvement with drugs, moving, holding or carrying weapons, sexually, stealing, organised fights, radicalisation, identifying other children…
Family Changes
Changes in your family can be stressful. You might be worried about having to do things differently or about getting used to new people. There is no right or wrong way to feel, everyone will feel differently in a similar situation. It's natural to feel scared or uneasy when there…
Fearless
Did you know you can speak up about crime 100% anonymously with Fearless? Fearless is a site where you can access non-judgemental information and advice about crime and criminality. You can also give information about or report a crime 100% anonymously, that means you will not be asked for personal…
Feel Good Follows
Social media can be an overwhelming place! Your 'ForYou' page may not always be the best posts for you! It can be easy to let what you're seeing on the screen live RENT FREE in your head and bring you down for the rest of the day :( So... to…
Feeling Sad or Low?
Most young people feel sad or down at some point in their lives. This may be caused by something that’s happening around them and usually gets better when the situation is resolved. You can become more moody, more self-conscious and start to question things. You may start to have…
Healthy Relationships
What Is A Relationship? As human beings we have lots of different relationships. We have friendships, family relationships and intimate partners (these can range from a steady boy/girlfriend/partner to a one night stand.) Most relationships have unwritten rules that keep them ticking over. We usually have expectations about how we…
Image and Performance Enhancing Drugs (IPED)
Anabolic Steroids are a synthetic (non-natural) version of the hormone testosterone. Testosterone is the chemical in humans, in particular men or those assigned male at birth, that is responsible for facial hair, deepening of the voice and male sexual characteristics. Anabolic steroids also stimulate growth in tissues, such as muscle…
Is It Normal? – Recognising Abuse & Getting Help
Sometimes relationships can be tough. It's normal for fall outs and arguments to happen with families, friends and other people you know. It's also common to have times in all relationships (family included) when things just don't feel easy or "right." In most cases people manage to work through these…
It’s festival season! Keeping safe and Q&A
Festivals are times to have fun and enjoy yourself and we know many young people are excited for Radio One's Big Weekend. We have set up this page for you to look after yourself and keep safe so you can have the best time possible! You may have some questions…
Keeping Healthy
What does being healthy mean? Bodies come in different shapes and sizes and it's normal for yours to grow and change as you get older. Looking after yourself is really important, especially while you're developing as your body needs a whole variety of things to function properly. Looking after your…
Lesbians and bi-women: healthy relationships and sexual health
Sexuality can be an important part of our identity and all sexualities should be celebrated, however for lots of people, coming to terms with or questioning their sexuality can be difficult and they deserve to be supported with this. Everyone has the right to be safe and happy in their…
Let’s talk…
Communication As human beings we are born communicators. Research shows that even the tiniest of babies show signs of wanting to be sociable. So why is it sometimes difficult to stand up for yourself, talk about feelings or let someone know what really turns you on? We hear lots about…
LGBT+ (Lesbian, Gay, Transgender & Bisexual Plus)
Is it normal to feel confused? We occasionally receive messages on cool2talk from young people who are feeling a bit confused about their sexuality, this is totally normal, many young people go through a time of confusion, feeling uncertain about who they are attracted to. Equally many young people are…
Living Online
We live in so many spaces online that it can sometimes be hard to work out the rules and how to keep safe in all of them. New places appear all of the time and it can be difficult to keep up. The internet, apps and social media are a…
Low self-esteem?
Low self-esteem or lacking in confidence? Always putting yourself down? Or feel like you have no confidence anymore? You’re not alone – many people feel like this sometimes. There are loads of ways to boost your confidence and self-esteem. If you ARE confident you generally feel comfortable with how you…
Mental Health
What Does It Mean To Be Mentally Healthy? Everyone has mental health and just like physical health it can change throughout your life. Your body can get hurt or become ill- like catching a cold or breaking a leg - but over time it can heal and get better. The…
Mindspace Perth activities
Despite the lock-down, our PEER SUPPORT service is still in operation. The service is delivered through a blend of one-to-one sessions and/or group activities with an emphasis on promoting hope, confidence, life skills, connections and independence. Support is currently being delivered via Zoom and telephone by our peer team, who use…
New Psychoactive Substances (Legal Highs)
What are NPS? New psychoactive substances (NPS), often known as legal highs in the past, are substances designed to produce the same, or similar effects, to drugs such as cannabis, cocaine and ecstasy, but are structurally different enough to avoid being controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act. In the…
ONLINE RELATIONSHIPS
The internet can be a great way to meet new people. Some find it easier to talk online, and it can help you to say how you feel more openly. A piece of research carried out by sexual health charity Brook and CEOP explored how young people use digital technologies…
Panic Attacks
What Are Panic Attacks? Panic attacks can happen as a response to fear, anxiety CLICK HERE or to stressful situations. Because you are scared of something your body reacts by releasing a lot of a hormone called adrenaline, causing your chest to feel tight and your heart to race, and can take from…
Periods
What is a period? A period is the part of the menstrual cycle when a person with a vagina bleeds from here for a few days. For most people this happens every 28 days or so, but it's common for periods to be more or less frequent than this. They can…
Pornography
What Is Porn? You may have heard lots of things about pornography. Chances are you've seen porn somewhere, either by accident or deliberately. In simple terms porn is something that is meant to sexually arouse (turn on) the person looking at it. It can be photographs, magazines, books or videos.…
Pregnant? What can I do?
Finding out you are pregnant can be scary, but there is confidential help to support you and to discuss your options around making the right decision for you, and if appropriate, your partner Early Signs of Pregnancy Some people can tell that they’re pregnant because they feel different. For example,…
Puberty, Growing Up And Body Image
All young people go through puberty, the time when your body changes to become more adult. As well as body changes teenagers experience huge brain and social changes as they grow that can leave you with some intense feelings. This can be tricky at points, it can feel awkward, embarrassing,…
Questions you may have about sleep.
Questions you may have about sleep. What are your thoughts on sleeping in at the weekend? When we have genuinely not had enough sleep during the week and are really tired, we need to make that sleep up at the weekend. This seems reasonable, kind and healthy. But…
Refugees, Asylum Seekers & Visitors From Other Countries
People may leave their homes or birth countries and end up living in Scotland for lots of different reasons. They might do this with families or on their own. Moving can be overwhelming and stressful, especially if you're trying to fit in in a new place and work out the…
Reporting Rape or Sexual Assault
Information about the NHS Sexual Assault Response Coordination Service (SARCS) If you have recently been raped or sexually assaulted, it’s understandable if you don’t know what to do or where to turn. SARCS is a dedicated NHS service which can offer healthcare and support in the days after an assault, if…
School & Youth Group Sessions – Evaluations
If you've found yourself here you've hopefully just taken part in or delivered a session around how to use the cool2talk site. This is where we ask you to give us some feedback about the session. This feedback is really important as it helps us to get things right. If…
Self Harm
WHAT IS SELF HARM? Self-harm is when someone hurts or inflicts injuries on themselves and is usually a way of coping with or expressing overwhelming emotional distress. This can take a number of forms including, cutting yourself, taking overdoses of tablets or medicines, punching oneself, head banging, pulling out hair…
Sex and the Law
How does the Law affect me? When you’re considering getting naked with someone you really fancy probably one of the last things on your mind is the law – obviously there are the rape laws when a person forces someone to have sex – however, when you’re both horny and fancy the…
Sexual Health Services Tayside & FAQ
We’re making it easier to speak to a sexual health nurse. If you’re 13-18 and living in Tayside you can book online for a phone call with a sexual health nurse. Click here to book See HERE for all information on NHS Tayside Sexual Health Services for young people including…
Sexual Pleasure & Masturbation
What Is Sexual Pleasure? Sexual pleasure is the feeling people get when they are sexually aroused (or turned on.) It can happen in response to something you see, smell, hear, taste or touch. For example a certain perfume or aftershave, or something your partner says, can be just as sexy…
Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI’s) are on the rise
STIs are on the rise across Scotland. Cases of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including gonorrhoea and chlamydia, are increasing among young people under the age of 25 in Scotland. The number of infections has more than doubled since 2017. That increase means that 1 in every 200 people aged under 25…
Sharing Intimate Images: The Facts
Someone taking an intimate / sexual image of themselves, and sending it to anyone including their friends or boy/girlfriend via a mobile phone or some other form of technology can cause lots of problems. You might call it other things like “nudes” or sending a pic. The law define intimate/sexual images as: photographs…
Sleep
Why do we sleep? We still don’t really know, but we do know that we need it. Sleep allows our bodies to carry out functions that are vital for our physical and mental wellbeing, leading to a whole range of benefits… Cell growth and repair – during sleep, new cells…
SMOKING
It can be really hard to give up smoking once you have started, but there is help to do this and it will be worth it! Tobacco contains nicotine, which is highly addictive, it works just like other addictive drugs. It makes the body and mind become used to having…
Suicidal thoughts
Everyone sometimes feels sad, depressed, or angry especially when the pressures of school, friends and family become too much to handle. Sometimes when people are feeling very down their feelings can start to feel too much for them to cope with. This can cause them to have thoughts they wouldn’t normally…
Supporting a friend who has suicidal thoughts
How do we cope if a friend feels suicidal? Everyone sometimes feels sad, depressed or, angry especially when the pressures of school, friends and family become too much to handle. Sometimes when people are feeling very down their feelings can start to feel too much for them to cope with. This…
Syphilis Key Facts
SYPHILIS: EASY TO CATCH, EASY TO TEST, EASY TO TREAT We have recently seen an increase in syphilis infections amongst young heterosexual (straight) people in Tayside Syphilis is a Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI). It's one of the most easily caught sexually transmitted infections Often there are no symptoms Syphilis can…
The Corner Dundee
Health Information and Support for Young People Aged 11 to 19 years old The Corner Drop-in provides health services, information and support for young people aged 11 - 19 in the Dundee area. Based in Dock Street in town The Corner is staffed by trained professionals who have lots of experience…
The Penis, Testicles and Other Bits
Penis facts and health Just as everyone is a different height and has different hair, all penises come in slightly different shapes and sizes. The average penis size, once fully formed, which can be any time from about the age of 13 years until 20 years, will be about 9cm…
Vaping – Is it Harmless?
What is Vaping? Vapes are battery powered devices containing a liquid which is heated into a vapour which people then breathe in. Disposable vapes are becoming popular amongst some young people due to the wide variety of flavours and their bright colours. These disposable vapes should be discarded once the…
Volunteering
Are you looking to learn new skills, meet new people and do something to help towards your future plans? Why not volunteer? There are local agencies that can help with opportunities specifically for young people. Definition of Volunteering 'Volunteering is an activity that involves spending time, unpaid, doing something that…
Worried about someone else’s drug or alcohol use?
Are you struggling to cope with someone else's substance use? This might mean that you're worried about someone in your life because of their drug or alcohol use. This could be a parent, grandparent, sibling or even a friend. Struggles with drug and alcohol use spread much further than just…
Young Carers: Q&A’s
Young Carers A 'young carer' can be child or young person who takes on a caring role for another family member. This caring role can see these young people provide support to family member ranging from washing, dressing, preparing food to providing medication and ongoing emotional support. A ‘young carer’…
Young Men and Mental Health
It's Good To Talk..... We get lots more questions from young people who self-identify as female on Cool2Talk than we do from those who identify as male. However, we do know that just as many self-identifying boys as girls come on the site to look at other people’s answers and…
Young People Online – What You Told Us 2024
What Did You Tell Us About Your Online Experiences? At the end of last year we asked you to fill in a survey about your online experiences. We asked questions about what platforms you use, what you do there and how this makes you feel. We covered topics ranging from…
Young People, Mental Health and Being Online
Earlier this year a 6th year student at St. Paul's Academy, Dundee, carried out some research with pupils in the school. He wanted to find out more about online behaviour and young people's mental health. There were some really interesting results, here are the key points: Almost 9 in 10…
Your Amazing Teenage Brain
Most people know that bodies change during puberty, but do you know what happens to your brain? During adolescence (or the teenage years) your brain goes through a massive re-structure that helps to prepare you for becoming an adult. This process takes some time and full brain maturity isn’t reached…