Whether youre casually dating or long married, theres a good chance youve fired off an X-rated message or photo to a love interest at some point. As the main character in HBOs new show Euphoria says, Its 2019 and unless youre Amish, nudes are the currency of love.

And its not just teens who are swapping steamy texts. In a survey by Drexel University researchers of 870 heterosexual adults age 18-82, nearly 88 percent of respondents said theyve sexted in their lifetimes. Eighty-two percent reported theyd sexted within the past year.

Of course, sexting opens you up to a world of risks. Actress and singer Bella Thorne said Saturday that a hacker got access to her private photos (which she decided to post on her own Twitter page , rather than be blackmailed).

Plus, theres always the chance the sextee could show your messages to others or even post them on a revenge porn site. When it comes to the digital world, theres simply no guarantee of privacy.

That said, were not going to suggest you stop sexting (because that wouldnt be any fun for anyone). Instead, here are a few precautions you can take to keep your sexts safe.

Make Sure Its Consensual

The first rule of all things sex is that every act should be consensual. That means before shooting over a dick pic or topless selfie, be sure to get enthusiastic confirmation that the other person wants to see it. If not, your sext could be considered harassment.

And dont neglect your own comfort with the exchange. If you feel pressured to send a racy photo or arent 100 percent convinced you can trust the person asking for it, err on the side of caution and keep the convo PG-13. That goes for text messages, too no one should be forced to send or read sexually explicit words if theyre not into it.

Avoid Identifying Details

We get it: Pursed lips and perfectly tousled bed head can be the cherry on top of an expertly composed nude. But including your face dramatically increases the chances that a photo gets traced back to you should it be leaked. That goes for other details that can be used to identify you, such as a tattoo, unique piercing or your bedroom as the backdrop.

When snapping your pic, aim to show only the neck down and take it somewhere with a fairly plain background (like in front of a bare wall). If you have any other identifying features, consider cropping or blurring them.

Delete The Metadata

Though sexting is a mobile-exclusive activity for most people, you may need to head to your desktop for a final edit before sending any risqu images. Thats because most digital photos contain metadata, including GPS coordinates of where the photo was taken, date and time the photo was taken, the make and model of the camera and other details you might not want to be associated with your picture.

You can disable your iPhone camera from saving geographic data on photos in the first place, or use an app like ViewExif to view and remove metadata from your phone. If thats not possible, youll need a computer.

To remove this information in Windows, right-click on the image file and select Properties. Then click the Details tab to find the link titled Remove Properties and Personal Information. Click this link to remove the metadata (youll be asked to select whether you want to make a copy with the info removed or to remove the information from the original). The process might be slightly different using other operating systems.

On a Mac, youll need to be using OS X Yosemite in order to remove Geodata without the help of a third-party tool. Open your photo in Preview, then select Tools and Show Inspector. Next, click the (i) icon to pull up the info panel, click the GPS tab and hit the Remove Location Info button.

Use A Secure Connection

Use a VPN when possible, said Zohar Pinhasi, a cyber threat specialist and CEO of MonsterCloud . A VPN or virtual private network helps keep your web activity private by creating a temporary IP address and hiding your true IP address from any site you connect with. In other words, a personal VPN will help you stay anonymous on the internet. Pinhasi noted that there are plenty of good options available, some of which are free.

And whether or not you connect to a VPN, always use a secure wireless network. Never sext over public Wi-Fi, even if its password protected, Pinhasi said. Its simply too easy for hackers to intercept your messages.

Use Messaging Apps With End-To-End Encryption

Rather than sexting over your phones messaging app, Facebook messenger or other vulnerable services, you should use an app that employs end-to-end encryption, according to Pinhasi.

Lots of messaging apps offer this, including WhatsApp, he said. That way nobody, including people at WhatsApp (or whatever messaging service youre using), can see the message. The only person who can view the photo is the person to whom youre sending the photo.

Other free encrypted messaging apps include Cyphr, Signal, Silence and more.

Be Wary Of The Cloud

In addition to sending sexts securely, you should also make sure youre storing them in a way that wont make them accessible to hackers. If youre using an iPhone, for example, your images may be syncing to iCloud.

While companies can tell you their cloud is secure and safe, you must come to terms with the fact that its entirely out of your control, said Pinhasi. You are taking their word for it and putting trust in a company that its doing the right thing from a security standpoint. But theres absolutely no way to know and that includes what [data] employees may have access to.

If youre going to hold onto nudes, its a good idea to keep them in personal cloud storage rather than iCloud, Google Drive, etc. A personal cloud isnt inherently more secure, but Pinhasi explains that theyre much smaller and less likely to be targeted by hackers. You can also control when that cloud is connected to the internet and when it isnt. When its not connected to the internet, hackers cant gain access to it.

Finally, he said, you also have the option to control how your files are stored on your own cloud. You could, in theory, encrypt all of your data before placing it on your own personal cloud, he said.

Destroy The Evidence

Better yet, your best bet is to get rid of nudes after youve sent them. It might pain you to delete the most perfect booty shot youve ever captured, but youre better off destroying the evidence rather than leaving it around for the wrong person to find.

Sure, the receiver will still be in possession of those files, but at least you can ensure things on your end are hack-proof. And its not unreasonable to ask your sexting partner to follow the same precautions you do.

Dont Do It At Work

According to the same survey mentioned above, nearly 30 percent of sexters have done it at work or while out and about. That might add an extra layer of sexy, sexy danger, but it also puts you at undue risk of being caught and potentially losing your job.

The temptation may be there, especially if youre feeling a little bored and worked up, but its best to wait until youre home in a safe space, said Dr. Clare Morrison, a medical adviser at MedExpress . If youre caught by a co-worker or worse, your boss the repercussions could be pretty bad. Plus, if your phone is linked to a work cloud or server, your photos could end up being circulated around the office, Morrison said.

Know Your Rights When It Comes To Revenge Porn

Sexting is inherently risky behavior, but that doesnt mean that its ever okay for someone to share your messages or photos without your permission.

Revenge porn, or intentional distribution of non-consensual porn, has been criminalized in most states . However, the law varies depending on the specific state, and nine have yet to make revenge porn illegal. Familiarize yourself with local revenge porn laws so that if anyone ever were to distribute your nudes or handle them in an inappropriate manner God forbid you know what legal recourse to take.