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Two paradigms have shaped how US policy makers, health professionals, and educators have approached teenage sexuality over the past several decades. The first is the abstinence-onlyuntil-marriage paradigm, according to which sex outside of heterosexual marriage is always wrong and harmful (Santelli et al., 2006). The second is the sex-as-risk paradigm, which defines adolescent sexuality in terms of risk and risk taking (Michaud, 2006). The two paradigms share a near-exclusive focus on acts of teenage sexual intercourse, conceptualize such acts as dangerous, and assume that emphasizing their risks is the way to help young people become sexually healthy. Both paradigms exemplify what I call the dramatization of adolescent sexuality: They highlight internal conflictsdbetween impulse and cognitiondand interpersonal conflictsdbetween boys and girls and between youth and parents (Schalet, 2004). But these two paradigms give us only limited tools to conceptualize and promote positive adolescent sexual development and relationships. First, by defining teenage sex as wrong or risky, they insufficiently distinguish sexual acts that are quite safe from those that are high risk. Second, by viewing sexuality as an “either/or” activity rather than a continuum, they give scant attention to the skillsdincluding those necessary to discern and communicate sexual wishes and boundariesdthat allow youth to explore sexuality in a gradual, intentional, and pleasurable fashion. Third, they do not pay enough attention to the relationshipsdwith partners and adult caregiversdthat can support positive adolescent sexual experiences. Finally, they often fail to …