The subject is usually accompanied by alarming stories.

“All I have to say is, don’t send someone something that you don’t want the world to see,” said Dr. Patricia Sulak, an obstetrician and gynecologist at Scott & White and professor at Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine who is nationally known for her research on women’s health issues and sex education programs for adolescents.

“We are almost too connected today,” Sulak said. “It’s really incredible. It seems like there’s no privacy, and everyone’s sending things back and forth.”

Last year, Jesse Logan, an 18-year-old Ohio woman, hanged herself after sending nude pictures to her boyfriend, who she eventually broke up with. The photos were sent to classmates. When interviewed, her mother said the bullying and insults from the kids at her high school became too much for the teen.

“It’s one of those things now where everyone has access,” Sulak said. “If you send a provocative photo to someone, there’s nothing stopping it from going to one person to the next.”

Sulak is partly responsible for writing the curriculum for the Scott & White “Worth the Wait” program, which is used in school districts around the state, including Temple and Belton schools, and educates adolescents and adults on the medical, social, economic and legal consequences of teen sexual activity.

“The issues surrounding sexting are limitless,” she said. “Psychologically, the impact can be devastating for teens.

“A lot of these kids are dealing with enough stress and emotion as it is. They’re going through puberty,” Sulak said.

According to an article from last year, the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy surveyed teens and young adults about sexting - 39 percent of teens are sending or posting sexually suggestive messages, and 48 percent reported receiving such messages; 1,280 teens were surveyed.

“The biggest thing is that parents need to educate themselves about the subject, and talk to their kids,” Sulak said. “If texting alone is a persistent issue, then contact your (wireless) carrier, and ask them to block picture messaging on your child’s phone.

“To me, it’s no different than the Internet - we teach parents tips sometimes that educate them as to how they can view the Web sites their kids are visiting, or install blocking programs. I think parents are going to have to start monitoring their kid’s cell phone use.”

Terry Buckley, a registered nurse who works with Sulak, echoed her thoughts.

“It’s almost impossible now to get a phone without a camera. I think that parents need to take the responsibility.”

Lovie Mitchell of Temple said she shut off the picture messaging on her 13-year-old daughter’s cell phone.

“She was sending way too many messages that we were getting charged for - all you have to do is call (the carrier) up and ask them to end it,” Mitchell said.

“That’s scary to me,” Mitchell said of sexting. “I know how my daughter is, and how she gives her number out to everyone she meets and talks to them. That wasn’t the point of the phone when we bought it - it was just supposed to be for emergencies.”

Most major carriers including Verizon, AT&T and Sprint allow users to design their own calling plans. Even though their phones may have cameras, parents have the options of shutting off their child’s ability to send any pictures that are taken with the phones.

Many school districts across the state have implemented cell phone policies, including Belton and Temple. Students who inappropriately use cellular phones during the school day in the TISD have to pay a $15 fee to get them back if they’re confiscated.

“We’ve moved into a technological age, which allows students to possess electronic instruments that can be used for cheating and to display and take inappropriate pictures,” John Hancock, TISD director of student services, said about the phone policy when the district school board passed it. “School districts across the country right now are facing these issues. We’re no different.”

A USA Today article from last year said Nielsen Mobile found that about 80 percent of teens ages 13 to 17 and 93 percent of those 18 to 24 use cellular phones.