Navigating sex, relationships, as well as sexual and mental health, can feel overwhelming when you lack resources that can provide guidance or when there’s plenty of misinformation circulating the internet — especially as a young person. With sex being a generally taboo subject, it can be difficult to muster the courage to seek answers out of embarrassment, shame, trauma, and more. Who can you turn to when you have a crisis on your hands? Where can you get help — such as birth control, abortions, STI testing — when you’re stuck in the dark?
For those of you who are struggling, Asking For A Friend (AFAF) is the perfect place to look. AFAF is a comprehensive sex ed platform produced by YLabs, a youth-focused global design and research organization. Designed as a service-finding tool, AFAF allows its users to safely navigate youth-friendly, affordable services within California.
In light of today’s political climate with Trump’s alarming executive orders and so many drastic changes — and possibly more to come —, it’s important that young people are informed about the support that Gen Z has access to during such trying times.
AFAF’s creation arrives at the right time for young folks, as the project launched in June of 2025 after a year’s worth of crafting the project with a team of hundreds. Starting out with a target audience of 50,000, AFAF quickly climbed in popularity with 80,000 young people using the site just on its first trial.
“We created AFAF through co-design with over 300 young people across California,” AFAF’s Project Lead Katy Ashe says. “It’s really focused on answering young people’s most stressful, stigmatized questions about sexual health, relationships, and the things that young people aren’t really getting in sex ed, then connecting young people with all of the amazing, free, and inexpensive resources that exist in California.”
AFAF’s free service-finder tool makes things a lot easier for young people to safely navigate what resources are at their disposal, especially since information revolving around sexual health is often buried on different websites and can be riddled with false information.
“We have all sorts of things for in-person services, such as free STI testing kits, free birth control, mental health services like LGBTQ resources in your area, and all sorts of things that young people can access for free and their rights around accessing them,” Katy explains.
From subjects on pregnancy to long-lasting birth control options, AFAF can direct its users toward in-person and at-home services that are free, affordable, and can be mailed directly to your house in times of crisis.
How is AFAF different from other sites and organizations?
What makes AFAF significantly different from other platforms is the fact that users also have access to decision support where a multitude of online quizzes can guide young people with their burning questions. For instance, if abortion is right for you or if your relationship is abusive, you can take these very short minute quizzes that will define what you may be feeling and provide a clear picture of your options. It’s a nice touch that the quizzes also provide check-ins whenever your answer raises a red flag.
Another unique aspect about AFAF is how deeply they care about being accessible to young folks in a way that isn’t overly complicated; relaying medical information can be a tricky thing, but AFAF does a great job of providing information in a way that’s receptive to the user.
“We’re working directly with the youth and collaborating with them too,” AFAF co-creator youth lead and photographer Star Bourgoyne. “Being able to actually allow the youth to create the service that they want to see and that they want to utilize instead of just putting it together thoughtlessly, you know. That’s what sets us apart.”
To emphasize just how accessible these services can be, Star explains that she was able to receive two free STI testing kits that were delivered to her house within two days—one would expect these services to cost at least hundreds, but through AFAF, navigating where you can find cheap options has become the next easiest thing.
Why is sexual health education so important?
Destigmatizing and demystifying sexual health is incredibly significant for young people, especially in light of the political landscape the U.S. is currently surging towards. A lot of harm can come when young folks aren’t aware of their bodily rights, and AFAF has the ability to provide those necessary services to those who don’t have access to such integral information.
“That stigma conceals information,” Star states. “If people are hesitant to reach out and even allow themselves to think about their questions. If they feel like asking their questions is going to garner a certain response or is going to be redundant, they’re not going to get what they’re looking for, so it stops the curiosity altogether. That innocence and ignorance can lead to so much harm than good.”
With LGBTQ+ inclusivity only being really understood and recognized in the last half-decade, as Star points out, it only emphasizes how necessary it is to spread awareness and information regarding important, intersectional subjects like gender, sexuality, racial, and social justice. Additionally, being educated on these matters — knowing what consent or safe sex looks like— can help folks recognize the red flags in relationships and aid in identifying whether you’ve been victimized as well. Providing context and being able to understand your experiences can break down stigmas surrounding sex and prevent unsafe practices from being normalized.
AFAF is changing the narrative, and the more people collaborate with it by sending feedback or reposting on social media, the better it will become. “Even if you feel like it doesn’t directly relate to you, your contribution and your support is benefiting somebody that you love and care about,” Star says. “Take us seriously. Indulge in us as a service and see how we can impact not just you, but all the people that you love and care about as the world is changing.”