World AIDS Day is held once a year, every year, on December 1. While HIV/AIDS is a daily reality that needs to be discussed and addressed, this is one particular day when people take extra time to get educated, get tested and remember the over 33 million people worldwide, living with HIV/AIDS.

AIDS-related deaths have been decreasing over the past couple of decades for two very good reasons: knowledge and treatment. Yet, HIV/AIDS still has no cure.

This World AIDS Day, we encourage you to remember that there’s a long way to go in developing a cure for HIV and overcoming the social stigma faced by those living with HIV/AIDS all over the world. And while you’re remembering, you can actually do something by participating in a World AIDS Day event near you. And there are two other things you can do, not just today, but any day:

1) Educate yourself about HIV/AIDS and
2) Get tested.

-Anita Modi, 17, Contributor

What comes to mind when you hear the words “politics,” “budgets” and “Congress?” Lots of teens might think, That’s boring. I don’t care. But what happens in Washington has a direct impact on you and your sex education. If you’ve avoided politics up to this point, now is a good time to pay attention: President Obama wants to cut funding for abstinence-only-until-marriage programs.

Under President Bush, ab-only programs received million of dollars. Coincidentally, teen birth rates and STDs went up. It seems like “Just say no” just didn’t work. But President Obama plans to shift money from ab-only programs to sex education programs “that stress the importance of abstinence while providing medically-accurate and age-appropriate information to youth who have already become sexually active.” In plain English, President Obama knows that you can’t just teach abstinence—teens need info about birth control and condoms, too!

But wait, don’t think that Obama can magically change your sex ed with a snap of his fingers! The budget must pass through Congress, so it’s entirely possible that the people elected to represent YOUR interests—senators and state representatives—can stand in the way of improving YOUR sex education! So don’t just stand there, do something about it!

Tell your senators and state representatives that you want, need and deserve better sex ed! Advocates for Youth has made it easy for you to contact your senators and congress members with the click of a button. So take a stand with President Obama, and fight for your right to a better sex education!

You’re 16 or 17—old enough to have a job and pay taxes. You care about issues like climate change, reproductive health care and education. And the outcome of the upcoming election will have an impact on your life for years to come. But as much as you’d like to vote, you can’t since the minimum voting age is 18. Bummer!

Do teens suddenly have the capacity to make responsible decisions on their 18th birthday? Nope. But think about the other big decisions 16- and 17-year-olds make and the responsibilities they have around their sexual health. Teens have to decide whether or not to have sex. And if they do choose to have sex, then they have to deal with the responsibility of getting tested, using birth control and communicating with their partners. We know that when teens are given honest and accurate information, they’ll make responsible choices about sex. So if we can trust teens with their sexual health, shouldn’t we be able to trust them to make responsible decisions in the voting booth?

Think the voting age should be lower? Here’s what the National Youth Rights Association has to say about that:

Global climate change is real, and yes, the polar bears are drowning. There are tons of things you can do to reduce your impact on the environment, like recycling, driving a hybrid car, using solar power and wearing a condom. Wearing a condom? Yep, wearing a condom can help save the planet.

Think about it: Humans are largely responsible for melting ice caps, oceans of garbage and disappearing animals and forests. If we want to reduce our impact on the environment and make good use of limited resources, like water, then we’ve got to reduce population growth by preventing unplanned pregnancies.

Using a condom or other method of birth control to prevent an unplanned pregnancy isn’t just about saving your own skin; it’s about protecting the environment. So do your part to save the planet and use a condom or other method of birth control if you decide to have sex.

SHHH! Listen! Do you hear those crickets? That’s the sound of silence when it comes to real, honest talk about sex. Whether you’re watching MTV’s A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila, reading the latest issue of Cosmo or playing Grand Theft Auto IV, sex is there, smacking you in the face. But no one is talking about it!

It’s no surprise that we’re equally silent when it comes to talking about sexual assault. If most people can’t look you in the eye and say “vagina” without blushing, how do you think rape survivors feel when it’s time to speak out about being sexually assaulted? We live in a culture that silences the survivors of rape. And the intense shame and fear they often feel only makes it more difficult to talk about the trauma.

You might say, “It won’t happen to me.” Lots of people think that it won’t, but the truth is that rape can happen to anyone, at any time. And yes, even guys can be raped.

But what if you were raped? Would you keep it secret and live with the trauma for the rest of your life? Or would you break the silence, speak out and refuse to live in shame and fear?

There is power in speaking out, so use your voice and start talking! Because the more real, honest talk we have about sexual assault, the more people will understand that crimes like sexual assault aren’t about sex. They’re about a need for the perpetrator to control and humiliate another person. Breaking the silence is just the first step in putting an end to sexual assault.

If you live in the New York City area and want to take a stand against sexual assault, attend the Sexual Assault Yearly Speak Out (SAY SO!) on Sunday, May 18th from noon to 10 p.m. in Union Square Park. Join survivors of sexual assault, their supporters and volunteers from the local rape crisis community to generate awareness about sexual assault and to celebrate the healing and recovery of sexual assault survivors. For more information, visit the SAY SO! Web site.