Sex and the law

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. In Northern Ireland, you have to 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.