And it ends with one girl sad and another cradling roses. But that' s getting ahead of things. Sex and romance among teens are thick with modern twists and perils. AIDS and HIV, for starters. The Internet has become a tool for the sexually curious.
Popular culture has an earthier edge.
Still, this is no Era of Free Love. The rate of teen pregnancy is down nationwide. So is the percentage of adolescents having sexual intercourse. Our culture has changed. The complexities of the heart haven' t.