The decision to have sex is a very personal one, and if you don’t feel ready to have sex just yet, that is totally okay! Waiting before having sex can help you with the following:
- It gives you time to explore and understand your body on your own and to learn what you like and don’t like.
- It gives you time to decide what sex means to you and what you want from a sexual relationship once you’re ready.
- It gives you time to become more self-confident. When you do decide to have sex, you are able to tell your partner what you like and don’t, and talk about protection from HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
- It means you don’t have to worry about things like HIV, STIs and unplanned pregnancies. If you’re not sure you’re ready to deal with using contraception and HIV/STI prevention, it may be better to delay having sex for now.
Can you delay sex even after you’ve had it once or twice?
If you’ve had sex already but you didn’t enjoy it, felt afterward that you really weren’t ready, or you changed your mind about the person you had sex with, you can decide to stop having sex and wait until you are ready. Just because you started having sex doesn’t mean you can’t change your mind and decide to wait until you’re really ready.
Not ready for sex with someone else but want to try masturbating? Find out more about pleasuring yourself here.
To find out more about sex toys, click here
It’s important to understand consent when you do/if you decide to have sex. Find out what consent is here
