I’ve started losing interest in Twilight fandom, and it’s all because of the long awaited marriage and sex scene between Edward and Bella in the latest film, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1.

In the books and movie, Bella wants more physical intimacy with Edward, but he says they must marry first. So what does Bella do? She rushes too quickly into marriage—a very serious thing—because that’s the only way Edward will have sex with her. Her only concern seems to be what will make Edward happy—not a good message to send to the fans. It’s frustrating that Bella’s character is portrayed as so dependent on Edward. He spies on Bella while she sleeps, dictates her choice of friends and encourages her to trick her father, among other questionable actions that make Edward a creep and not a healthy choice for a boyfriend or husband. But will girls and guys believe having a controlling and possessive partner means your partner “loves” you, because they see Bella and Edward’s relationship portrayed as “romantic”?

And what about sex? The sex scene wasn’t described in detail in the book or movie. But the aftermath was shown with the breaking of a headboard and Bella’s body covered in bruises. (Edward can’t control his superhuman strength during sex with a mere human. This makes me wonder: Does this leave people thinking a partner really desires you if he or she hurts you during sex?) While Edward is disgusted with himself because he has bruised Bella, she is happy they have finally had sex. One moment Bella and Edward are in total bliss, and the next they’re both upset. Communication before, during and after sex might have helped avoid some of the misunderstanding.

At first I thought the Twilight storyline was cute, and of course, I daydreamed about how lovely a vampire boyfriend would be, but when I actually thought about what Bella and Edward’s relationship is like, I really lost interest. (But Team Jacob all the way!)

—Casandra Fetchik, 17, Staff Writer

Castillo and her peers made a short film called “Sex in School: Does Ignorance Keep Us Safe?” to inform Boston high school students about sex ed and push for standardized comprehensive sexuality education in Boston Public Schools. The documentary premiered this past winter, but its spotlight on the lack of knowledge about sexual health among public school students might inspire you to head back to school this fall and change sex ed at your school. The film is funny, interesting and makes abundantly clear the importance of comprehensive sexuality education. Castillo works in the Health Career Ambassadors Program in Jamaica Plain, Boston, and partnered with Intercultural Productions to film, edit and produce the project.

“Sex in School” responds to the high rate of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) among inner-city students in Boston—one in four high school students has an STD. The movie gives factual information, but keeps the statistics interesting and the overall tone light. It also addresses unplanned pregnancy, focusing on the most common (and less than ideal) ways students get their information about sex.

Castillo’s ultimate goal is to help improve the sexuality education curriculum of public schools in Boston, because ignorance doesn’t keep us safe. In fact, it leads to dangerous consequences in Boston and across the country.

Check out the trailer for “Sex in School: Does Ignorance Keep us Safe?” on their Facebook page. After seeing it, you may want to start the school year off by standing up for comprehensive sexuality education in your city or town.

—Meg Gibbon, 19, Contributor

If the title of the British show, The Joy of Teen Sex, isn’t enough of a hint of what is to come, the opening scene reveals it all. While images of teens engaging in a variety of sexual behaviors flash across the screen, a woman narrates, saying “Although the age of consent is 16, by that time the average teen has slept with at least three people.”

Having grown up in Europe, I’ve always known that European television is much more liberal than what we see here in the U.S., but even I wasn’t prepared for what I saw. The show uses a combination of graphic video clips and interviews with teens involving nudity to openly discuss sexual topics and provide sexuality education to teens. If the show Skins has caused such controversy in the U.S., we won’t be seeing The Joy of Teen Sex on American television anytime soon.

The show addresses a wide range of topics and answers the awkward questions that we all probably have. Do I think the concepts are good? Yes. But the provocative images meant to attract and entertain an audience and the soundtrack of music you would hear at a rave seemed a little over the top for a show meant to educate. It’s nice to have a show that pushes boundaries, but The Joy of Teen Sex would provoke less controversy in the U.S. if nudity was used for educational purposes and less for sheer entertainment value.

—Sam Dercon, 17, Staff Writer

You’re probably tired of hearing it, but the truth remains: abstinence is the only way to completely avoid the risk of pregnancy and/or STDs. Yes, there are ways to practice safer sex, and for those who choose to have sex, safer sex is the way to go! But a recent report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicates that an increasing number of teens have never had sex before.

The report drew from surveys of 13,500 men and women ages 15 to 44. In 2002, it was estimated that 22 percent of males and females had never had sexual contact with another person. The CDC’s recent report based on data from a 2006 to 2008 survey found that 27 percent of male and 29 percent of female 15-to 24-year-olds had never had sexual contact with another person. This shows an increase of five percent for males and an increase of seven percent for females from 2002.

And sure, these results were obtained by survey, and people may not always be completely honest. But even so, these numbers indicate that sexuality education messages about waiting until you’re ready for sex are sticking, just a bit.

Of course, abstinence isn’t for everyone. But if you do feel that abstinence is the best choice, you’re clearly (and even more so now that you would have been a few years ago) not alone.

—Taylor McCabe, 18, Contributor

Imagine taking a trip to Washington, D.C., and visiting the Washington Monument. Just when you’ve angled the camera perfectly so that it looks like you’re holding the building in your hand, a helicopter carrying a parachute enters the frame. Wait a second. That’s not a parachute. Stunned, you watch as a giant condom covers the Washington Monument, flaunting the statistic, “Every day 10,000 U.S. teens catch an STD.” This is exactly what happens in the promotional video for Let’s Talk About Sex, an hour-long documentary that will air on TLC on Saturday, April 9th.

Director James Houston uses interviews, media clips and images to explore Americans’ “contradicting attitudes about sex and sexuality” and their effect on teens. In today’s sexually charged culture, scantily clad Victoria’s Secret models and Jersey Shore hook-ups fill our daily lives, yet there is still so much fear about providing teens with information about the realities of sexuality. As a result, teens are not receiving the information they need, and they are getting pregnant and/or contracting STDs.

This documentary sets out to examine the role of sexuality in modern American society. In doing so, it hopes to start new conversations about sexuality and open up dialogue between teens and adults. Tune into TLC this Saturday to watch Let’s Talk About Sex. Check out the sneak peek below:

We want to know what you think of the show. After you watch on Saturday, come back and leave your comments below!

—Cynthia Lam, 17, Staff Writer