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!

Pay attention to lyrics the next time you’re plugged into your iPod. According to a new study, teens that listen to songs with “degrading” sexual lyrics, like “Wait” by the Ying Yang Twins, are more likely to have sex. In the study, researchers suggest that listening to these lyrics makes teens more likely to imitate what they hear.

People might find lyrics to some songs degrading, but are those lyrics really influencing teens to have sex? Even if you pulled all songs with sexual lyrics off the radio and MTV, guess what? Some teens would still be having sex! It’s easy to get alarmed about kids listening to raunchy lyrics in music. But it’s much harder—for parents and teens—to have open and honest discussions about what those lyrics really mean and what our values are when it comes to sex, love and relationships.

The next time you’re in the car with your parents and you hear some pretty lewd lyrics on the radio, why not ask what they think about it. It’s a great way to break the ice and begin an open dialogue about sex.

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner! Getting your boo flowers, chocolate and a card might be nice. But why not try something unique? Have a conversation about safer sex!

Having convos about condoms and STD testing on V-Day might sound like the ultimate mood killer. But safer sex and romance go hand in hand! It’s fear of STDs and pregnancy that can get in the way of enjoying the time you spend with your partner, not condoms. Show your partner that you really care about him or her: Talk about getting tested and using condoms or other latex barriers before things get hot and heavy.

Can you imagine getting an STD for Valentine’s Day? That’s no way to celebrate Valentine’s Day. Check out this great video from Trojan’s Evolve campaign reminding you to have safer sex and use condoms:

Think drinking alcohol makes hooking up sexier? Think again. Teens are bombarded with messages that make alcohol and sex seem like a never-ending party. But we don’t live in the fantasy world of TV and movies—this is the real world.

Is it really sexier to be so drunk that you forget about birth control and condoms (maybe even your sexual partner’s name!) and have a pregnancy or STD panic the next day? That doesn’t sound sexy at all; that sounds like a nightmare.

There’s a new public service announcement in the UK urging teens to think twice before mixing alcohol and sex. Check it out, and keep these questions in mind as you watch:

• Who suffers the consequences of mixing alcohol and sex? The guy, the girl or both?
• Whose fault is it for having unprotected sex? The guy, the girl or both?
• Whose responsibility is it to practice safer sex? The guy, the girl or both?

Choosing not to have sex is the only way to completely avoid pregnancy or STDs. But if you choose to have sex, both you and your partner have to be able to make important decisions, like getting tested and using condoms and birth control. Throwing alcohol into that equation is a recipe for risk—risk of pregnancy, STDs and maybe even heartache.

Have you talked with your parents about sex? October is Let’s Talk Month, and we can’t imagine a better time to have an open and honest conversation about sex with your parents. If you can talk to them about sex, you can talk to them about anything.

MTV has a new show about talking to parents about sex called Sex…With Mom and Dad. Check out the trailer below, and leave us a comment with your thoughts about the show.

It’s important to let your parents know if you want to talk about sex. You can even approach them before they approach you. Check out these teen-written stories for tips on talking to your parents about sex.

http://www.sexetc.org/story/deciding_sex/2187
http://www.sexetc.org/story/emotional_health/2081
http://www.sexetc.org/story/love_relationships/1936