What is consent?

Consent means that you have given permission, or that someone has given you permission to engage in any intimate activity for sex.  Any sexual contact without consent is illegal regardless of the age of the people involved. In the UK, the age of consent for sexual activity is 16.

It doesn’t matter what gender you are, or whether you’re straight, gay or bisexual, if you’re planning to do anything sexual then both of you must give consent.

Consent is an essential part of healthy relationships and it’s really important to know what it is and the many ways to spot it. Both you and the person you’re with always need to consent before sex or any intimate activity. The Home Office ‘Disrespect Nobody’ campaign provides more advice and information, including sexting, relationship abuse, rape, porn and harassment.