The second my friends and I logged on and began to “play,” the shocking image of a very old man’s crotch filled our screen and evoked yelps from a few of the girls. We had just visited Chatroulette.com, a Web site that allows you to video chat with random strangers. This was our first time on the site, and this was certainly an interesting first impression.

Of course, crotch shots weren’t the only thing on there. Some of the strangers we saw were also wildly entertaining, doing crazy things, like salsa dancing and wiggling their feet. Meeting new people is such a fun part of life. It’s no wonder this site is so popular, but some people seem to take it too far.

Exposing your body to strangers gets you a lot of attention, but is it really the kind you want? Sure, compliments are nice and everyone likes to feel wanted, but that kind of attention is probably best reserved for people who actually care about you and, most importantly, appreciate you.

You never know who could be watching or what they might do, whether it’s a dangerous stranger or your own family member! Check out this Dutch commercial that shows a brother and sister who are unknowingly about to have cybersex—and I am almost certain you don’t want that to happen to you!

—Melanie Johnson, 17, Staff Writer

Do you know anyone who has come to school naked? Probably not, but maybe you do know people at your school who have been seen naked because they’ve sexted—shared nude photos or videos of themselves via text or online. Many teens believe that the only person viewing the message is the person they send it to, however, with the click of a button, the sext can easily be shared with many others. Although it may seem harmless, there can be negative consequences for sexting. Who would want a college admissions officer or potential employer to make a decision about you after seeing your nude photo or video online? And even worse, who wants to have a criminal record for the possession or distribution of child porn just because you have a nude pic of your partner on your phone? (This has actually happened in several states.)

Once a sext is sent, there’s no way to take it back, and it is no longer private. Each year teens are fully exposed to their friends, classmates and lots of other people because of sexting. Think before sexting. More than a quarter of 14-to 24-year-olds have received naked photos or videos via text or online, according to an Associated Press-MTV poll. Is sexting really worth risking, not only being completely revealed, but a criminal record? Ponder this public service announcement and let us know what you think.

—Chelsea Sirico, 17, Staff Writer

I spoke to Montel Williams on his Air America show Montel Across America, last Thursday. We talked about the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance, 2008, which was released last week. The CDC’s report found that STDs, such as chlamydia, syphilis and gonorrhea, are on the rise. And why is this relevant to us? Because the report found that there are over 19 million new STD infections each year and almost half of them occur in young people who are 15 to 24 years old. Montel, much like other adults who’ve been talking about the report, was alarmed by these numbers and referred to the high rates of STDs among young people as “frightening” news.

It is surprising to hear this news. But what’s really frightening is the fact that many teens are in abstinence-only programs or not getting sex ed at all. This means there are teens who aren’t getting the information they need about safer sex. It also means that many teens haven’t gotten the skills they need to talk about and make decisions about safer sex with their partners if they do decide to become sexual. Comprehensive sexuality education may be able to help reduce STD rates. It teaches teens the skills they need to take care of their sexual health, make healthy decisions, get clear about their own values and set boundaries when it comes to sexuality.

For more information, check out our stories, FAQs, Forum and quizzes on STDs and having important conversations about sexuality with your parents, partner and health care provider.

-Colleen Tierney, 16, Staff Writer

Taylor and Alex are now an item. They’re making it “official” by declaring it on Facebook. Thank goodness your news feed keeps you up-to-date on all the latest, right? You wouldn’t want to be the last one to know. But, really, how are Facebook and other popular social networking sites changing teen relationships?

From boldly stating your interest in people of certain genders to declaring your relationship status, social networking sites make our relationships very public. With a simple click or an update to our information, whole networks of friends (and random people we’re virtual “friends” with) get notified. But relationship status aside, there are other considerations when it comes to dating and Facebook.

How often do you check your partner’s page? Do you know what your partner is up to—who he is talking to or whose pages she is commenting on? Researchers are starting to get interested in the psychology behind Facebook and whether it fuels jealousy through the ability to lurk and check out what another person is up to online. And how do you handle breakups? Certainly changing your relationship status is a not-so-subtle hint to your partner that it’s over, but is that the best way to give or receive that kind of news?

There are definitely great things about Facebook and other social networking sites. They offer another way to connect, stay in touch and spread information. But they also raise questions about the rules of relationships and how people interact. Is Facebook flirting cheating? What kinds of pictures of you and your partner get posted, and what about pictures of either of you with exes? What does “It’s Complicated” as a relationship status even mean? Certainly the popularity of Facebook and other social networking sites adds a layer to relationships, and probably warrants some discussion between partners about what’s OK for Facebook and what’s not OK. Maybe you can add that to the list of things to talk about and negotiate with your partner before you find yourself having a fight over whether or not she or he leaves you enough “likes” or comments on your latest status update.

Spoiler alert! What is the head cheerleader and president of the Celibacy Club to do when she finds herself pregnant by her boyfriend’s best friend? Well, if you’re Quinn on FOX’s new show Glee, you tell your boyfriend Finn that the baby is his. When he looks at you confused and points out that you’ve never had intercourse, you tell him that it happened the night that you two made out in a hot tub, fully clothed in swimsuits, and he ejaculated. “A hot tub is the perfect temperature for sperm. It helps them swim faster.”

Oh. Em. Glee. You cannot get pregnant simply by swimming in a pool or sitting in a hot tub. Glee offers up what seems to be a generally over-the-top story line spiked with misinformation about pregnancy. It’s easy enough to get caught up in the song-and-dance numbers and to chuckle when soon-to-be-out Kurt tells his father that unitards are “jock chic.” But is there some truth somewhere underneath the ridiculousness?

While being dishonest about a pregnancy is never a fair thing to do, many viewers can probably acknowledge that it can be a challenge to make decisions when you’re scared, overwhelmed and even alone. Will Quinn tell Finn the whole truth about her pregnancy? How might their relationship and individual lives change? In between songs, dance numbers and jazz hands, you can be sure that Glee will keep asking questions about what it means to explore your sexuality as a teen and make choices along the way. In the mean time, you may not want to make Glee your go-to source for sexuality education. Try checking out the articles, FAQs, Forums, and blog posts on Sex, Etc., instead!