Logic of upping the UK's age of sexual consent from 16 to 18 to help prevent teenage pregnancies?

Question

Teenagers have s*x, why do people try to deny it. Upping the age of consent will not change that.

So I have some questions...

1. What about the 16 and 17 y/o's who are already sexually active?

2. How does it effect people who marry at the age of 16/17?

3. Instead of trying this tactic because it 'seems to work in the USA', why can't teenagers just be taught properly about contraception instead of just being told to abstain (as an awful lot of UK schools are now teaching this)?

Answer 1

Raising it will not change a thing. Teens have s*x regardless. It doesn't work in the USA, the issue is just as bad and the rate is still pretty high. It's all about proper education.

Answer 2

i totally agree, i was given absolutely no s*x education until i was 17 which is pointless as i lost my virginity at a young age and a lot of people were already sexually active when we had the talk.

theres no point changing the legal age unless they're going to enforce it which they blatantly cant.

its simple, theres an age restriction already, its done nothing about teenage pregnancies or under age s*x. so theres no point increasing it, as the 'law' will still be broken. and if an individual wants to have s*x they will have s*x whether or not its legal. if anything it just means s*x education will be put off until an even older age surely meaning that teenage pregnancy numbers will increase?!  but then theres the issue that they want to start giving s*x ed to children of 4, its ridiculous my younger brother is 3 1/2 and has only just realized that his female relatives don't have penises or that we have b*****s, let alone having him know about contraceptives. stupid government is all i can say lol.

Answer 3

i agree people will have s*x no matter what the age limit is just like smoking and drinking people will do it no matter what the age limit is. When i was at school our s*x ed was awfull. I think they should tell teenagers that if they want to have s*x then they should be told about the contraceptive pill and condoms and i think they should be offered it. No matter what they do they will not be able to stop underage s*x so they could at least help stop unwanted pregnancys by giving them condoms and the pill.

Answer 4

I think the only legitimate reason to have an age of consent is to protect young people from being targeted by adults. Teenagers will have s*x, and I don't think they should be criminalised for doing so. Changing the age of consent will only help to stigmatise s*x, which will mean fewer young people get the s*x ed and access to contraception that they need.  

It's unrealistic to think that changing the law will stop teen s*x, the current law doesn't do it, why should the new one? When I was in school I knew 14 and 15 year olds who were having s*x.

The age of consent law should be there to protect young people, not to impose someone else's morals on them. If we want to reduce teen pregnancies and STD infections we need to educate young people better, not tell them to wait till marriage. (It's not like waiting till marriage will magicaly prevent unwanted pregnancies or STDs).  

Answer 5

good idea but teens are still going to have s*x no mater what that is y kids are pregnant at 14 n 13 years old