The purpose of these guidelines is solely to protect young people aged 13, 14 and 15 from harm. The question of compliance with the law is a separate issue and is not addressed by these guidelines. There are some points where the two issues are likely to coincide; for example, where a young person is at risk of harm as a result of sexual abuse. There are other points where they do not coincide; for example, where young people are involved in consensual sexual relationships and are not at risk of harm. The law changed on 1st December when the new Sexual Offences Act came into force.

From the age of 16 you can legally consent to sex this includes sexual intercourse, penetrative sex and any sort of sexual touching but 16 may not necessarily be the right age for you to start having sex. Many people do not have sex for the first time until they are older. Being ready happens at different times for different people — never decide to have sex just because you feel pressured. For more information about knowing when you are ready to have sex look here. Remember, under 16s are still able to access sexual health advice, contraception and free protection from sexually transmitted infections STIs and pregnancy by visiting their local clinic or GP.

Deciding to have sex with someone is an important decision. If you think that you are ready to have sex, it is important that you are aware of the different laws about how old you have to be to have sex, and to understand what the law means by sex. Before you have sex, you should talk to a health professional about how to practice safe sex and to make sure you are fully aware of the risks of practising unsafe sex.