A recent photo of 15-year-old Miley Cyrus appeared in Vanity Fair and caused some controversy. In the photo, Miley’s back and shoulders are bare, her hair is damp and a sheet covers her chest. In the accompanying article, Miley describes the photo as “really artsy,” and says, “It wasn’t in a skanky way.” But shortly after the issue hit newsstands, the 15-year-old star of Disney’s Hanna Montana came out and apologized for the photo.

Many of the girls that look up to Miley know her as squeaky-clean Hanna Montana. But this photo doesn’t match her G-rated TV persona. And looking at the photo, you might think that she’s nude in bed after just having had sex. Some people are upset and feel the photo sends the wrong message to her young fans.

But according to Vanity Fair, Miley and her parents “thought it was a beautiful and natural portrait.” She wasn’t naked during the shoot nor sitting up in a bed, and her parents were on the set.

Some people think this photo is no big deal, and they don’t understand the outrage. They argue that the photo of Miley reveals a lot less than some 15-year-olds do in their prom dresses or on their MySpace profiles.

Whether you’d call this photo “artistic” or “pornographic,” our culture sexualizes people—especially young women. And yet, we do an awful job of openly and honestly talking about something as natural and normal as sexuality. If we had real, honest and accurate talks with young people about sex and sexuality, would photos like this cause so much controversy?

This post is a part of a national Youth Media Blog-a-Thon on violence sponsored by YO! Youth Outlook Multimedia and WireTap Magazine.

Did you know that 1 in 4 teen girls has a sexually transmitted disease (STD), and that for the first time in 14 years, the teen birth rate has increased? When will we get a clue? Clearly, teens need access to health services, like clinics, and honest, accurate information, so they can take care of their sexual health.

Stopping the spread of STDs like HIV/AIDS and reducing teen pregnancy rates costs money. But here’s a major problem: Money is tight for everyone nowadays. Maybe you think budget cuts don’t have anything to do with teen sexual health. But in reality, the way Uncle Sam spends taxpayers’ money has a direct impact on YOU:

• The number of teen pregnancies and rate of STD infection would only increase if Medicaid spending is cut. Millions of low-income teens rely on Medicaid for health services, including access to birth control, like the Pills and condoms, and other services, like clinics.
• Ever been to a Planned Parenthood or other Title-X clinic? When these clinics don’t get the funding they need, teens have to pay more for confidential services, such as counseling, gynecological exams, STD testing and birth control. Sometimes, a clinic will have to stop offering certain services altogether because they don’t have enough funding.
• If knowledge is power, then why is sex education so poorly funded? Comprehensive sex education gives teens the information they need to make healthy and responsible decisions about sex, but there’s no federal funding for comprehensive sex ed. Instead, our government funds abstinence-only sex programs, even though study after study shows that these programs don’t work. Isn’t it time the government stopped pumping money into something that’s proven to be ineffective?

If we’re serious about improving teen sexual health, shouldn’t we increase funding for Medicaid and Title X and stop funding abstinence-only programs?

We won’t see the STD rate or teen birth rate decrease overnight. But in the long run, giving teens comprehensive sex education and providing access to safe, affordable and well-funded sexual and reproductive health programs will greatly reduce the number of unplanned pregnancies and help stop the spread of STDs. Let’s hope that the next president keeps teens in mind when he or she thinks about how to spend taxpayer dollars.

Are you a fan of the hit show Gossip Girl? There’s been some controversy over the promos for the new season. Critics argue that the promos are way too sexual and that the ads are sending the wrong message to the show’s teen audience. Take a look at the promos for Gossip Girl in the clip below:

These ads are just another example of sexualized advertisements that specifically target teens. Did you notice the OMFG? Some adults might not know what that means, but ask almost any teen and he or she will know. The teen-friendly OMFG sends a message that clearly says, “Hey teens, watch Gossip Girl! The sex scenes are outta control!” And, just in case you don’t realize how much sex there is on the show, a voice says the word “sex” over and over while sex scenes from the show flash across the screen.

Some people might think, So what? I’ve seen ads like this before. What’s the big deal?

The big deal is that ads like these present a warped view of sexuality that’s all about sexual fantasy and not reality. Important parts of sex—like communicating with your partner and using condoms to prevent sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and pregnancy—are completely left out of the picture. With teens and middle-school kids watching, you have to wonder: How are they supposed to learn about the really important parts of sex that we don’t see on TV, like deciding if you want to have sex, communication and condoms?

The next time you’re watching TV and you see a sex scene, take note: Do the partners discuss their expectations of sex? How about using condoms or other methods of birth control? Do they talk at all about preventing STDs? You’ll find that although there’s tons of sex on TV, there are few realistic portrayals of responsible safer sex.

Did you know that before the 1990’s, sexually transmitted diseases were called venereal diseases or just VD? The word “venereal” comes from the Latin word venereus, meaning of or from Venus, the Roman goddess of love. At one point in time, it may have made sense to use the phrase “venereal disease” to refer to diseases that you can get from lovemaking or sex. But many people were clueless about what the word “venereal” meant, so they never understand that a VD is sexually transmitted!

In the 1990’s, there was a major focus on improving sexual health, especially preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS. Public health officials started to use the phrase “sexually transmitted disease” instead of “venereal disease.” So now when we call diseases, like herpes or HIV, sexually transmitted diseases, it’s clear that they’re transmitted through sexual contact with an infected person.

Check out this old public service announcement from 1969 on VD. The message is that ANYONE can get a sexually transmitted disease—guys and girls of all ages and backgrounds. But if you don’t know what VD is, you’ll totally miss the message. And, you’d probably think VD was something you’d want to get, after looking at the happy people and listening to the song’s catchy tune.

A recent survey of Florida teens found that some teens believe surprising myths about pregnancy and HIV. Let’s put these myths to rest right away.

Myth: Drinking a capful of bleach will prevent HIV infection.

Fact: Drinking bleach DOES NOT prevent HIV infection. Only abstinence—choosing not to have oral, vaginal or anal sex—will prevent the transmission of HIV. And if you’re going to have sex, latex condoms and Sheer Glyde dams—when used correctly each and every time you have oral, vaginal or anal sex—are highly effective at preventing the spread of HIV. Bleach is toxic and will send you to the hospital if you drink it!

Myth: Drinking Mountain Dew will prevent pregnancy.

Fact: Drinking Mountain Dew DOES NOT prevent pregnancy. Only abstinence—choosing not to have oral, vaginal or anal sex—is 100-percent effective at preventing pregnancy. And if you’re going to have sex, latex condoms—when used correctly each and every time you have sex—and hormonal birth control methods like the Pill can prevent pregnancy.

Myth: Smoking marijuana will prevent pregnancy.

Fact: Smoking marijuana DOES NOT prevent pregnancy. Only abstinence—choosing not to have oral, vaginal or anal sex—is 100-percent effective at preventing pregnancy. And if you’re going to have sex, latex condoms—when used correctly each and every time you have sex—and hormonal birth control methods like the Pill are highly effective at preventing pregnancy. Smoking pot causes memory loss, damages lung tissue and increases the likelihood that you’ll experiment with harder drugs.

If we had better sex ed, teens would be less likely to believe in these outrageous myths! Let’s hope that Florida lawmakers pass a bill requiring comprehensive sex ed in schools. Teens need and deserve accurate sexual health info!

There are tons of sex myths out there. Check out the top ten!