Then Tiara ended up pregnant. And the two became teen parents.

They both say they had casual sex to avoid the hassles of having a relationship. So it's definitely ironic that they ended up with the responsibilities of parenthood.

"We just wanted to have sex,'' says Tiara. "A relationship would not have made the sex feel any better than it did.''

They made a big mistake. They didn't use condoms and another form of birth control, like the pill. So, the two strangers are now stuck together for life.

"I was never really for committed relationships until I ended up with a baby with someone I didn't even know," says Christopher, whose daughter is now 14 months old. "We started to go to counseling before she had the baby and we still do. It's real hard for us."

"When I found out I was pregnant, I got scared," Tiarra adds. "I started to think about all the diseases I could have been exposed to. I also had to think about whether the father would be there to help me out. I didn't know much about him, except for his name. I doubted he even remembered me."

But other teens say they have sex outside of relationships, are responsible about it and feel like it's OK.

"I'm a sexually active teen,'' says Tally, 16, from Los Angeles, CA. "I've slept with two people, and although I've known them for years, neither were boyfriends. I was safe, comfortable and it was fun. I have never been abused, molested, or neglected and I have a great family life. So why do all the articles I read make me feel like I'm making bad decisions? Am I the only one who feels that sex, when it's safe and well thought out, isn't a big deal?

"I think if you're both doing it for fun, want to and are responsible about it, there's no reason not to,'' adds Alex Cheston, 16, Villanova, PA. "I don't see why a relationship has to be a prerequisite for sex."

While most sexually active teens have sex in an exclusive relationship, plenty don't. According to a recent study done by Seventeen magazine and the Kaiser Family Foundation, 22 percent of girls and 49 percent of teens, ages 15 to 19, had short-term hookups.

But Judith Steinhart, director of Columbia University's Go Ask Alice Web site (www.goaskalice.columbia.edu), says that casual and sex are kinda contradictory terms.

"Do you want sex to be a big deal?'' asks Steinhart. "What does sex mean to you? I would like sex to be special. I guess you have to ask yourself: Is this how you want sex to be? Maybe sex is more important than that."

She advises teens who do decide to have casual sex to protect themselves by always using condoms and for those having heterosexual sex to also use another form of birth control, like the pill. They should also be sure someone -- friends or family members -- know where they are and who they're with, especially if they're getting into sexual situations with people they don't know well.

In the end, it's your decision whether you have relationships that are mostly - or totally - sexually. Some people do it and are fine. Just be sure it's what you really want.