PM rejects call to lower age of consent to 15

[Northerner]

The prime minister has rejected a call from a leading expert on public health to lower the age of consent to 15.

Faculty of Public Health president Prof John Ashton said society had to accept that about a third of all boys and girls were having sex at 14 or 15.

He said the move would make it easier for 15-year-olds to get sexual health advice from the NHS.

Downing Street said the current age of 16 was in place to protect children and there were "no plans to change it".

Official figures suggest that up to a third of teenagers have sex before the present age of consent of 16.

Prof Ashton said lowering the age by a year could "draw a line in the sand" against sex at 14 or younger.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-24976929

 

[Steff]

This is so sad,wen I was a teen this was something special and sacred these days boys/girls just give away there virginity willy nilly. I think it should stay as it is. I managed to wait till I was 17 through choice too.

On a side note I can't believe some barrister wants it lowered to 13 *yikes*

 

[Northerner]

This is so sad,wen I was a teen this was something special and sacred these days boys/girls just give away there virginity willy nilly. I think it should stay as it is. I managed to wait till I was 17 through choice too.

On a side note I can't believe some barrister wants it lowered to 13 *yikes*

Agreed. A guy on tv made the very good point that, although maybe one third are having sex under 16, two thirds aren't, and lowering the age of consent would most likely just put pressure on those to do it at a younger age 'because it is allowed' If the argument is that this will give 15 year olds access to NHS advice and contraception, I thought this was already the case? Wasn't there a big fuss a few years ago where a 13 year old was being given contraception advice without her parents' knowledge?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria_Gillick

A 'few years ago' was actually 1985! 😱

 

[Naty]

Agreed. A guy on tv made the very good point that, although maybe one third are having sex under 16, two thirds aren't, and lowering the age of consent would most likely just put pressure on those to do it at a younger age 'because it is allowed' If the argument is that this will give 15 year olds access to NHS advice and contraception, I thought this was already the case? Wasn't there a big fuss a few years ago where a 13 year old was being given contraception advice without her parents' knowledge?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria_Gillick

A 'few years ago' was actually 1985! 😱

I remember that too - as if it were yesterday 😱