You’ve heard the saying “everything’s bigger in Texas.” But bigger doesn’t necessarily mean better, especially when it comes to sex education. A new report from the Texas Freedom Network (TFN) is sounding the alarm about abstinence-only programs in Texas that rob teens of honest and accurate information about pregnancy, birth control and more. Here’s just a few things it found:

• Most Texas students are only taught abstinence, and aren’t given medically accurate information on pregnancy and STD prevention.
• Sex ed resources used in schools contain factual errors, including lies and distortions about condoms and STDs.
• Students learn about sexuality through shame and fear, instead of respect and celebration of sexuality.
• Texas ab-only programs often promote stereotypes based on gender and sexual orientation, creating an environment of sexism and homophobia.

Your school wouldn’t skip over Shakespeare in English class or square roots in your math class. So do some schools leave out information about birth control, pregnancy and STDs in your health class?

Don’t stay in the dark! It’s time to speak up for the sex ed you want, need and deserve. Take this survey about your sex ed, and set up a profile on Your Voice, Your Rights, the newest addition to Sexetc.org. Check out profiles from teens across the country, and hear what they have to say about their sex ed (or lack of it). Then get the information you need to improve sex ed in your school.

Check out these videos from the TFN Education Fund about sex ed, Texas style:

Where exactly do babies come from? And how are they really made? Almost everyone wonders about questions like these, especially when you’re young. But some of the answers parents give their children are anything but accurate! Stork, anyone?

Parents are the most important source of sex ed in our lives. And misconceptions about sex and pregnancy can start at an early age if parents aren’t comfortable talking to their kids. Filmmaker Jessica Yu explores some of this early childhood misinformation and misunderstandings about sex in her film “The Kinda Sutra.” Check out a preview of the film, and compare some of these funny stories about where babies come from with your own.

Virginity pledges are a part of some abstinence-only programs and have even gotten big endorsements from celebrities like Jordin Sparks and the Jonas Brothers. The idea makes sense on paper: Take a virginity pledge and promise to not have sex. This pledge is supposed to help you remain abstinent, and we know abstinence is the only birth control that is 100-percent effective at preventing pregnancy and STDs. But what if taking a pledge doesn’t work, or even worse, puts you at risk for pregnancy and STDs?

According to a new study, teens that take virginity pledges are just as likely to have sex as teens that don’t take a pledge. Teens that pledged had just as many sexual partners and started having sex at the same age as those that didn’t pledge. And the teens that took the pledge were less likely to use protection when they eventually had sex!

You just can’t take a virginity pledge, cross your fingers and hope to not have sex! What happens if you don’t stick to your pledge and never learned about how to protect yourself from pregnancy and STDs? Whether or not you take a virginity pledge, make sure you know where to get tested, how to get birth control and how to properly use a condom. It doesn’t hurt to be prepared!

The New Year is just around the corner! Make 2009 a year of great sex (ed), and start by making a resolution about your sexual health. Can’t think of any? Try one of these:

• Abstain from oral, vaginal and anal sex. No sexual activity means you’re safe from pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)!
• Get tested for STDs and HIV. This needs to happen way before the clothes come off.
• Carry a condom with you on dates. It’s OK to be prepared for the unexpected!
• Have more enjoyable sex. Talk to your partner about what makes each of you feel good.
• Speak up if you hear a homophobic comment. “That’s so gay” is SO 2008.
• Love your body, no matter what shape or size.
• Talk to your parents about sex. They’re your allies, not your enemies.

Plan on making a sexual health resolution for 2009? Log in, leave a comment and tell us what it is!

Barack Obama said a few times during his campaign that we need to “put the video games away.” But what if playing a video game could actually improve education and prevent the spread of AIDS?

There’s a new multi-player PC game being launched in Kenya called Pamoja Mtaani, which means “together in the hood” in Swahili. Players follow the stories of five main characters. And through puzzles, missions and mini-games, they learn about behaviors that reduce the risk of getting HIV, like proper condom use and getting tested. The game creators even included local hip-hop music, celebrities and fashion to make the experience feel authentic to Kenyan teens. Click the image below to check out video trailers that introduce the game’s characters.

The idea of playing a video game to learn about HIV/AIDS sounds pretty cool. Do you think your sex ed classes would be more fun if you could learn about topics like pregnancy and STDs by playing video games?