Sex - Ready or Not?

There can be a lot of pressure to lose your virginity, and it may seem like everybody’s doing it. It’s a myth that young people lose their virginity before they're 16 in fact most young people wait until they're 16 and some wait longer, but there is no right time to start having sex, the most important thing is that you wait until it's right for you and your partner. Most young people who have sex at 13 or 14 later wish they hadn’t.

Young people who say they regretted their sexual experiences often did it for the wrong reasons for example ‘to get it over with’, or ‘I felt like I had to, cos I didn’t want them to dump me’.

Ask yourself these questions to help you decide what’s right for you.

It’s a good idea to get the right information about contraception before you need it. You can visit a clinic to talk about your options; it’s free and completely confidential even if you’re under 16.