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In the wake of Jamie Lynn Spears' pregnancy and movies like "Juno," teen pregnancy almost seems trendy. Well it should at least be a hot topic: More than 750,000 teen girls are getting pregnant each year. And the Latino community—my community—currently has the highest teen pregnancy rate in the U.S. More than half of all Latina girls get pregnant at least once by age 20.

Many teens say they are concerned about pregnancy, but still think "it can't happen to me." Well before you roll the dice (and no judgment: we've been there fellow risk-takers) remember, sex without respect is always risky. That's why we've partnered with the The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy to promote May 7 as the National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. Like Respect Rx, the project is centered around making informed choices, knowing your boundaries and respecting yourself.

For those who aren't ready to get a STD (not fun) or not ready to be moms or deal with the responsibility that comes with it, you deserve to be empowered to make choices that are right for you. Or if you've been taking risks out in the sexual scene and don't feel great about the outcomes, then do check out the quiz below to find out how you make choices about S-E-X. You'll also find TV ads made for teens, by teens to raise awareness on the issue (you can enter—the best ad wins $500!) It's all at StayTeen.org. Girl advocates: There are lots of tools on the site for you too.

And for the teen moms out there, we want you to know that you're not alone. You deserve support, resources and the chance to continue your own healthy development. My mom was a teen mom and she didn't really get that chance until way later in life. Fyi, teen mothers are less likely to complete school and more likely to be single parents. Just another reason to take care of you—before, during and after sex (and all the stuff that goes with it).

Comments (0) | by Courtney on May 7

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GIRLS: Find out if your relationship is booming with respect or if the "diss" has taken over. Take the quiz here!

Comments (0) | by Courtney on February 6

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Respect is connected to everything. From how you feel about yourself to how others treat you to the choices you make. Take this quiz to find out if your world is running on respect or if disrespect is holding you back—and how you can spread respect for all girls, starting with yourself.

Click to here to download the quiz!

Comments (0) | by Courtney on March 6

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Take a look at the following scenarios. Do they sound like unwanted sexual harassment or harmless flirting? Keep score in your journal and then click the the next page for the answers.

1. During lunch, your crush tells you he likes your outfit.
Harassment or Flirting?

2. A guy tells his friends he’s "gotten some" from you and now they ask for "some of that" when you walk by them, which totally embarrasses you.
Harassment or Flirting?

3. You wear your favorite shirt, which happens to be low-cut, to turn heads at school.
Harassment or Flirting?

4. A teacher who you really admire—and who you might even have a crush on—tells you that he "likes" you too.
Harassment or Flirting?

5. You always try to hug a boy you like at school or send him sexually suggestive notes even though he’s told you he’s not interested.
Harassment or Flirting?

Answers
Nos. 1 and 3: Flirting. When you want sexual or romantic attention from peers, it’s not harassment. Still, if you’re trying to get too much sexual attention at school, think about whether school is the time and the place—and if you're interrupting others' learning experiences. To build your self-respect, always check yourself when it comes to needing a lot of outside attention to feel validated. You want to make sure that you’re taking advantage of the educational opportunities at school to make yourself a strong, smart girl who's a leader. You’re not there just to study up on dating and mating, right?

Nos. 2, 4 and 5: Harassment. If sexual attention, such as comments from other students, makes you uncomfortable or violates school policiy, it’s harassment. If a teacher makes a pass at you or flirts with you—even if you like how it feels—it’s harassment. Sometimes girls admit that when they’re at school, overt sexual attention or even rude comments from other students or adults feels good. Girls say it makes them feel pretty, desirable or noticed. That might be true, but this is the unhealthy way to get validation (a.k.a. confirmation that you're a valuable person). You should be acknowledged in a courteous and respectful way—not through degrading harassment, inappropriate suggestions, cat calls or "hoochie hollas."

If you're being harassed at school, take action.

Comments (0) | by Courtney on February 2

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