how old do you have to be to have sex?

Answer 1

when you are mature enough and ready to

Answer 2

In most (not all) jurisdictions, the minmum legal age for sex is 16. Many or most jurisdictions add (or substitute) a proviso: that anyone who has sex with a minor more than one (or in some cases two) years younger is guilty of a crime (such as statutory rape, or compromising the morals of a minor).

There have been a few cases where two 12- or 13-year-olds who had sex (and usually got found out because the girl got pregnant, or because the couple took videos of themselves and someone found them) were brought up for prosecution. In the one video case I know of, the jury refused to convict (jury nullification) despite the video evidence. Not guilty.

Then there's the Maryland case of the 13-year-old pregnant bride of the 29-year-old: http://snurl.com/girl13 (Maryland) and the 14-year-old mother with the 22-year-old husband: http://tinyurl.com/ekmjz (Nebraska; NY Times, free registration may be required).

Moses David of the Children of God thought that every child should start having sex at puberty, and should probably start masturbating long before that. He's dead now, but his church sort of lives on: http://xfamily.org

In much of the world, and in Colorado City AZ and Hildale UT girls are "married" (i.e., taken as concubines in polygamous familes) after their first menses:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorado_City,_Arizona

Most (i.e., 50%+) pubescent and adolescent kids today do not consider oral sex as "sex". A couple of years ago the British Ministry of Health published advice to schoolkids that "oral sex is safer than the other kind". There is a great deal written on the subject in scholarly journals and the popular press that suggest that kids from puberty on are doing it (one article, which you can probably find on Google, described the girls fellating all the boys on a bus going from the temple to a bar mitzvah party).

Social trends can only be recorded. They can't be stopped. One can only hope that: the sex is between same-age kids; that it's consensual (this usually goes with the first); that it's safe (well, a closed circuit is usually safe, and young kids aren't usually promiscuous in a public-health sense). From what I've heard (we have a good friend who is a sexual anthropologist and most of the above came from conversations with her) parents -- mothers anyway -- aren't doing anything to stop this post-Monica Lewinsky revolution. And in at least some cases approve. The new holy communion?

Answer 3

My personal belief is that you should wait until you are married. Marriage could happen at 18 or 38. That is when you should have your first sexual experience.

Because in our society today that is unrealistic for most people, I would suggest being at least 18.

You must be old enough to understand that pregnancy can happen, even with birth control, and you may be supporting a child, with or without help, for the next twenty years.

You must be old enough to be aware of the rampant spread of disease out there. How many sexual partners has you new partner had? How can you be sure you are safe from aids or herpes?

Do you have a good job in order to support the possibility of a child or sexually related illness?

You are wise to be asking questions. Good luck in your decision making.

Answer 4

First of all how old are you. Way after 21, but there should not be a age, but if you under 21 then it's a people. Wait until you are marry or when you are ready never ever let any pressure you into having sex.

Answer 5

"Have" to be would imply legal age - that varies from place to place.

How old SHOULD you be? Old enough to be ready to handle the emotional implications and take responsibility for taking proper precautions. When you're old enough to handle dealing with a baby 24/7 - you're old enough to do things that might get you one.

Just remember - there's no rewind on virginity, and sex is the most powerful thing a human can experience - It can begin a life, change a life, or end a life - and it can do any or all of them in a single act...

Answer 6

my dear it all depends on the type of person u r.
i am going to answer you from experience.
when you have sex with a person they take a piece of you emotionally and literally. u will never in this life forget that person. when you get married to a man being a virgin is like u r pure gold. if a guy is not willing to wait it clearly means and is quite obvious he just wants a piece and will eventually move on. if he says he wants to do it because he loves you he is talking crap love is not sex love is what he does for you. dont become another statistic on a guys list of all the girls he had sex with. finally being old enough to have sex is when if u should become pregnant u have a job to support ur self and on ur own or old enough to get married. good luck and always think of your self as pure gold until u do.

Answer 7

old enough to know what the consequences are and to know you are ready to lose you will never get back. so i say tell your at least 17 18 and up i lost mine at 17, i still think to this day that i should have waited longer. but yes around that age is ok, ok cause sex is nothing to do because you want to it can be very dangerous. becareful.

Answer 8

Old enought not to have to ask. Each state has it's own laws about this.... and the age of consent. But that doesn't mean that even though it may be legal for you to engage in sexual activity that you're emotionally mature enough to do so.

I encourage you to wait. There's no need to be in such a hurry.

Answer 9

Old enough to have the maturity necessary to responsibly handle all of the possible consequences and stipulations which a physical relationship can bring. Clearly, you're not quite old enough.

Answer 10

After marriage i would say...

but even though i'm 20 & had sex, i would say, when you're old enough to know how to handle sticky situations when anything happens!

Answer 11

Well you should know when your ready you should be at least 16 years old and thats still a little young