Your rights and sex
It is legal for young men and women to have sex once they are 16. This applies to any type of sex, whether that is men having sex with men or women having sex with other women.
This also applies if you live in England , Wales , Scotland and the Channel Islands . If you live in Northern Ireland , the legal age - known as the age of consent - is 17.
If you are over the age of 16 and having sex with someone younger than 16 you may be guilty of committing and offence. However, if you and your partner are both under the age of 16, but no younger that 13, and are consenting to have sex, that is you both fully agree and understand what it is to be sexually active, it is unlikely you will be prosecuted. If you are unsure at all, please chat to an adult you trust about your relationship. This may be a parent, carer, guardian, school nurse, Dr or nurse at a sexual health clinic.
Young people also have the right to say no to sex or any other behaviour that makes them uncomfortable. Abuse can be emotional, physical or sexual. Abuse can also take the form of neglect. It can happen in different types of relationships and is to do with power. Abuse of any kind in any relationship is never the fault of the person being abused.
Information on the law and your rights is available at www.savethechildren.org.uk/rightonline/wiseup.html
Or from the
Scottish Child Law Centre Freefone: 0800 328 8970
Abstaining from sex
This website has a lot of information on it about sexually transmitted infections, pregnancy and contraceptives. One way that is almost guarantee to protect you from most sexually transmitted infections and definitely from an unintended pregnancy is to abstain or not have sex at all.
Despite what your friends may tell you, not every young person is sexually active, only one in three young people aged 16 have had sex.
Being aged 16 or over does not mean that you have to be sexually active, choosing not have sex is a valid, acceptable, positive and responsible decision. Many young people wait until they are in a loving and stable relationship before having sex.
A high number of people who had sex when they were younger report that they regretted the experience because they were not ready for it. If you feel that you are being pressurised into doing something that you would rather not do, talk it over with a friend or trusted adult.
Are you ready for sex?
Being ready means that you are emotionally prepared, this may mean talking it over with your partner and that both of you are prepared to take precautions against getting pregnant or from an infection. This means making sure that the girl is taking some form of contraception and that condoms are used to prevent transmission of sexually transmitted infections. Abstaining from sex till you are older and more ready and prepared for the experience also means that you may actually enjoy it more. Having sex should be fun and enjoyable, you should feel that you respect and care for your partners and that they respect and care for you and that you are both ready. If you are not sure about having sex, ask yourself some questions first: -