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.

“Domestic violence.” “Dating abuse.” These terms probably stir up images of a woman with a black eye or some other kind of visible bruise. While physical violence is a reality for many people (of all genders) who experience abuse from a partner, it hardly tells the whole story. Abuse is not always so in your face; it can be subtle or not immediately obvious.

For teens experiencing dating abuse from a partner, coercion is one of those types of abuse that may not be immediately obvious. Coercion is when one partner talks or manipulates another partner into doing something she or he did not really want to do. The coercive partner might use sweet talk or make threats. No matter how it looks, it’s wrong and it is not a part of a healthy relationship.

Coercion, particularly sexual coercion, can have a huge negative impact on people. For someone coerced into unprotected sexual activities, the result could be a sexually transmitted disease (STD) or possibly an unplanned pregnancy. When you don’t feel like you have choices in your relationship, or your choices are not respected, you can start to feel trapped or hopeless.

If you find yourself saying, “Well, my partner talked me into…” or “It didn’t seem like ‘no’ was an option,” that’s a red flag. Each of us-no matter how we identify or with whom we partner-deserves a relationship based on respect. While studies have shown that the most common dating or domestic violence scenario is a man abusing a woman, dating violence occurs in all kinds of relationships. There is no one type of person who abuses, and no one type of person who is abused.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. To learn more about dating abuse, recognizing the signs and how to help a friend or yourself, visit Love is Respect.

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!

The Pill. NuvaRing. Diaphragm. Depo-Provera. The Patch. What do all of these birth control methods have in common? Well, they are all methods that young women—who are partnered with guys—can choose to use to prevent pregnancy. But what about the guys? What options do guys have to prevent pregnancy?

Condoms or…vasectomy? For those guys who want to keep the option to have children in the future, a vasectomy is likely not a good option. That leaves condoms as the only reversible birth control method that guys can use for themselves to prevent pregnancy. Condoms have the bonus of also being highly effective at preventing most sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), but some researchers are interested in finding additional contraceptive choices for guys to use, just as young women have multiple contraceptive options.

Guys, if a “male pill” were developed, do you think that you would use it? How do those of you in relationships discuss and choose methods of contraception? And what about protection from STDs? How might male-female relationships change if guys had more options for taking an active role in pregnancy prevention? Join us in the Forums to discuss these questions, along with other issues that affect teens’ sexual health.

By now you may have heard that 19-year-old R&B singer Chris Brown was arrested for allegedly hitting his girlfriend, fellow R&B star Rihanna. Details about what led up to the attack are still uncertain. But what we do know is that dating violence, no matter the circumstances, is never cool.

Various media reports note that Chris Brown grew up in an abusive household, and that his alleged attack is linked to his family history of violence. But that doesn’t excuse using violence to solve problems in a relationship.

What do you think Rihanna should do? Should Rihanna leave Chris Brown? Or do you think the couple should work things out? Go to the Forums, take the poll and tell us what you think Rihanna should do if Chris Brown hit her.