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A new public service announcement has just hit the web, urging young girls to steer away from sending sexy pictures to their significant others.

“There’s no such thing as ‘just one photo.'” a message on the video reads. “Protect yourself from sexual exploitation. Be safe.”

The PSA is targeted toward young girls but the message can be applied to women of all ages. Although it seems like everyone is doing it, before we arch our backs and snap away in our bathroom mirrors, maybe we should really weigh the pros and cons of this decision.

For starters, with the Internet and use of social media nothing is private these days. When it comes to texting nude or partially nude photographs, you run the risk of having your most intimate parts emailed, posted or retexted anywhere. Look at the countless celebrity victims — Chris Brown, Kanye West, Adrienne Bailon, Trina, Cassie, Amber Rose, Ron Artest, Rihanna…the list just goes on and on.

When you text a playful or naughty photo, essentially you are saying, “I trust you with this content.” While you are exposed and in your most vulnerable state, you run the risk of possible shame or embarrassment. Just think if you ever wanted to run for public office; a racy photo can come back to haunt you and too bad there’s no real-life Olivia Pope to help you out.

To the contrary, according to reports, some experts say sexting can be a powerful medium for building intimacy in a relationship.

MUST READ: Rich Dollaz Responds To Nude Photos: We Think He Did It

Relationship expert Esther Perel said she’s found sexting to be a great tool for couples in long-distance relationships and those having trouble in bed. “I have found sexting to be a very creative intervention for couples trying to rekindle their relationships,” she said.

So, if you are a grown adult that fully understands all of the possible negative aspects and you still want to send your boo thang a sexually-explicit pic, here are 5 tips to keep in mind.

1. Don’t drink and text. With easily-accessible smartphone apps like Facebook and Twitter, you don’t want to accidentally upload a photo of yourself online. And let’s not forget the possibility of texting it to the wrong person. That would be all bad.

2. No face shots. This is an easy rule for obvious reasons. If your going to give a sneak peak, keep it at just that — a sneak peak. Keep your most beautiful feature, your face, out of it. (This can go for other identifying features, too. For example, tattoos, birth marks and piercings.)

3. Only send mobile to mobile. When you send a photo to someone’s email account, that image will forever live online — somewhere or another. Plus an email is way easier to trace back than a text message. The safest route would be to only send it to your significant others’ mobile device. Now, we don’t have no jurisdiction on what they do with the photo after they receive it, but hopefully you read the beginning of this article and you really trust them.

4. Show your best assets. Remember, whenever you send a nude picture you run the risk of your body being seen by multiple eyes. So the least you can do is try to bring your A-game and keep it classy.

5. Save your images in a safe place. If you are on the receiving end you should store your pictures in a safe place. Maybe think about adding a lock on your phone or creating a separate photo gallery in your device. But, keep in mind that if your phone is ever stolen, some random person in the world will have access to a gold mine.

Most importantly, don’t ever feel obligated into sexting and sending steamy pictures. You always have the right to say no, and if you do that is perfectly okay — if not better.

Now, after reviewing the pros and cons, you weigh in. What are your thoughts on sharing sexy pictures— a good or bad idea? 

Plus, check out the PSA, created by Children of the Street, below.

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