This document reviews problems related to sexual activity among rural U.S. teenagers, successes and failures of teen sex education programs, and problems and needs specific to rural areas. In a recent poll, 89% of adults favored sex education in the schools and 73% supported making birth control information and contraceptives available in school clinics. The likelihood of a teenager becoming sexually active has less to do with socioeconomic status than with individual teens' values, goals, aspirations, and family environment in which he or she is raised. The primary causes of teens' contracting the HIV virus are ignorance, depression, being from a dysfunctional family, and poor school performance. Few sex education curricula address males and none describes strategies for using rural delivery systems. Successful teenage sexuality programs should deal comprehensively with the issues, last long enough to effect change, and involve students in the learning process. By itself, sex education is not a deterrent to teenage sex. The popular media encourage sexual activity and seldom address its accompanying responsibilities. Classroom programs must be supplemented by community-based efforts. Rural teens are as sexually active as their urban counterparts, but rural areas are less likely to offer HIV education to students. The prevalence of high-risk students in rural areas is high while resources are scarce. The need for effective programs to delay sexual activity and educate teens regarding the HIV virus has never been greater. Community approaches might be assisted by unique rural resources such as a tradition of neighbors helping neighbors and coperative extension services. (TES)