Click to talk to a trained teen volunteer. Having sex can be a major step in your life and it deserves some thought and planning. Here are some questions that may help you explore whether you and your partner are feeling ready to have sex. You may be surprised at some of your answers. Condoms can be tricky to use at first.

Back to Sexual health. Find out the things you need to ask yourself if you're thinking about having sex. Most people have sex for the first time when they're 16 or older, not before. If someone's boasting about having sex, it's possible they're pretending. Being ready happens at different times for everyone.

Last Updated: December 8, References Approved. Kelli is currently in private practice and specializes in individual and couples' relationships, depression, anxiety, sexuality, communication, parenting, and more. Kelli also facilitates groups for those struggling with alcohol and drug addiction as well as anger management groups. There are 26 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has 13 testimonials from our readers, earning it our reader-approved status.

This article is not about sexually transmitted infections or pregnancy risk, although, as realities of sexual activity, they will come up here and there. Parents today use a variety of resources to help young people learn about the facts and circumstances surrounding sexual activity. In addition, most young people get the run-down on pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections STIs in school. There are things that are important to think about before having sex, and this is true even if you already have sexual experience, since you still have a choice as to whether or not to have sex again.