Age of consent is the age that you are legally allowed to have sex. It is the age at which a young person is legally able to understand and agree to consensual sex.
It’s essential that consent is informed and freely given. No one has the right to make you do something you are not comfortable with.
In Northern Ireland, you must be 16 or older to have sex. This is regardless of whether you are gay, lesbian, bisexual, or heterosexual.
Just because you have reached 16, it’s not necessarily the right age for you to begin having sex. In 2022, a survey of 11-16 year olds in Northern Ireland identified that nearly two thirds (64%) of young people had not had any sexual experiences.
Further information is available from the Safeguarding Board for Northern Ireland and the PSNI.
- Consent advice (safeguardingni.org)
- Sexual Consent | Police Service of Northern Ireland (psni.police.uk)
More information and support is available in case of sexual assault