In the midst of shrinking budgets, competing interests and political concerns, sex education has gone viral, The New York Times reports. Sex education is a hot topic in most school systems, with only 13 states specifying that medical components must be accurate. In reaction, some health organizations and school districts have begun using text messaging, web sites and social media platforms to educate teens. For example, ICYC (In Case You’re Curious), a text chat program run by Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains, answers questions and sends info blasts via text. In Chicago, teens can subscribe to Sex-Ed Loop, a program that sends automated texts about contraception, relationships and disease prevention. In California, teens can use Hookup, a system that sends the locations for local health clinics. Some argue these systems don’t teach teens about abstinence or alternatives to sex, but advocates say these programs work.
 
To read the Times article, click here.