“In Mississippi the legal age to have sex is 16, so what does that mean? Can I get in trouble with the law if I was younger? Or does that just mean I can have sex with someone over 18? I’m confused.”
Not having a law degree .. the answer is if someone — 16 or younger — engages in sex and charges are filed, then there could be legal action taken. For example, let’s say a 16 year old girl is having sex with her 20 year old boyfriend and her parents find out. The parents become angry and press charges. The 20 year old boyfriend may find himself in court and labeled as a sex offender. If you need more information, check in your community for a legal aide service.
“What age do you have to be before having sex?”
In Mississippi, the legal age for persons having sex is 16; this age may be is different in another state. Another way to think about this is to ask how this might affect your life. For instance, if your parents know you are sexually active, will they be supportive or disappointed? What would happen if you got pregnant? What would happen if you got a sexually transmitted infection, like HIV?
Deciding when someone is old enough to have sex really requires thinking about why you want to have sex and how that decision might change your life.
“Is 14 too young to start experimenting sexually? My boyfriend and I have been together for months and known each other for years. We’re both virgins and were each other’s first kiss. We talk about what we are comfortable with all the time and decided not to have sex yet.”
Since you asked, 14 is too young to engage in a sexual relationship. The fact that you have been talking about this decision, shows a level of maturity that you should be proud of. Both you and your boyfriend have lots of time to make that decision. There are some great web sites that offer ideas of ways
to show how much you care about someone without having sex, such as this link:
https://www.nscphealth.co.uk/101-ways-to-show-someone-you-love-them-without-having-sex-pdf.
I encourage both of you to make an appointment with a trusted health care provider to talk about having sex, how to protect yourself from a sexually transmitted infection, and how to prevent getting pregnant.
