• Question: what age do you think is appropriate to start having sex?

    Asked by beckycwalker to Christina, Colin, Jess, Samaneh, Steve on 17 Jun 2013.
    • Photo: Christina Pagel

      Christina Pagel answered on 17 Jun 2013:

      Hi Becky,

      Well i don’t think scientists are any more qualified to answer that than anyone else… but, especially as a woman, I do have an opinion! So i’ll tell you what I think…

      The most important thing is that you have to be ready – by that I mean, you have to want to do it, you shouldn’t be scared or worried or feel pressured or only do it cos you think everyone else is doing it… It needs to be with someone you trust, because it a vulnerable and intimate thing to do, especially for girls and women. If you have doubts or you are asking yourself the question “is this the right thing to do?” then it probably isn’t… waiting until you feel completely ready is worth it!

      Also really important – there’s no rush! You’ve got the rest of your life to have sex and no one I know as an adult ever wishes they’d started having sex earlier! Plus, really, everyone else isn’t doing it, regardless of what people say. Different people are ready at different times and who knows when you’ll meet the right person to take that step with?

      And I guess finally, when you decide that you are ready, always use a condom! Not just against pregnancy but also to protect yourself from diseases…

    • Photo: Steven Gardner

      Steven Gardner answered on 17 Jun 2013:

      It’s funny thinking about this question and looking back on teenage years as a 20-something. Sex seemed to be one of the most important life-hurdles at the time. The pressure to grow up fast was enourmous. What I want to say is don’t let it get to you, you’ll know when you feel ready, and then later you’ll look back and wonder why it seemed such a big deal. Don’t feel the need to conform to peer pressure, you’ll know yourself when you’re mature enough, and then you’ve got the rest of your life to be a responsible(ish!) adult.

    • Photo: Colin Dick

      Colin Dick answered on 17 Jun 2013:

      I remember being about 16 and thinking that was an appropriate age… but now that I’m older (and probably since I have a younger sister) I can’t help feeling that’s too young! The condom advice has to be the number one issue, it’s easy and it removes all the morning-after doubts. And avoid having a boozy first time – it’s pretty uncool to be one of the “I can’t remember my first time” crowd.

      Cheers,
      Colin (the slightly paranoid older brother)

    • Photo: Jess Bean

      Jess Bean answered on 18 Jun 2013:

      I completely agree with everyone else on this! At 16 sex seems the biggest thing in the world! Looking back on it now I wonder what all the fuss was about! 🙂

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