When is an appropriate age for minors to become sexually active?

[UdoKier]

Poll question: When is an appropriate age for minors to become sexually active?

Legal matters aside, strictly talking about a minor being intimate with a partner of the same age.

I simply ask because I've seen a number of people say they would rather their kid be playing violent video games or watching violent movies than to be "out having sex".

I have 2 sons, and honestly, the idea of them exploring sexuality in their teens doesn't bother me. The only thing is I don't want them coming home with any diseases or babies, but I really don't get the anti-sex mindset...

[bluestateguy]

1. Abstinence only. No sex until marriage and even then only for reproduction

:smoke:

[sir_captain]

2. Is it ok to have a complete double standard

in comparison to oneself and one's children? ;-)

[ixion]

3. whenever it happens...

I think each person's destiny is different, so you can't apply a generalization to it. Obviously sometime during puberty or thereafter.

But I had my first 'girlfriend' when I was 10. :-)

[Bucky]

4. The law sez 18, so I sez 18.

Since 18 is an arbitrary number anyhoo, it hardly matters what someone's technical age is. It depends on a person's personal maturity. As a society we've picked 18 years out of the womb as the arbitrary point at which people can be trusted to make that choice for themselves. Obviously some people can make intelligent choices before the age of 18 while Judith Regan was making horrible choices with another woman's husband a few decades past the age of majoirty.

Since it's so arbitrary, I'll just go with the legal cut off. It's as good as any. As a high school teacher I can tell you that I see the consequences of youngsters who think they're mature enough to make that choice, and yet clearly are not.

[leftofthedial]

5. as the father of a 16-year-old daughter

I say 35 is about early enough

[NewJeffCT]

6. LOL, as a father of an almost 2 year old daughter

I agree with you. Though, I plan on educating her thoroughly on these issues.

[Solly Mack]

9. 35 was my mother's stock answer as well

I told my neices and nephews 35 as well.

[UdoKier]

10. I have boys.

And I often wonder if I would feel very differently if I had girls...

[MercutioATC]

7. 42

...at least for MY kid.

[tk2kewl]

8. I am not a prude, but I am disturbed by the answers to this pole.

Am I alone?

Sex ed is critical, but I believe kids should be encourage to wait. Sex is more than a recreational activity IMO.

[Ready4Change]

11. What makes you think you can stop them?

Parents/Adults have been fretting over this probably since the dawn of humankind. But during all that time of worrying about when their kids "should" become sexually active, they've yet to find anything short of a chastiity belt that can actually do much of anything about it.