Consent is an agreement between two people, given through words or actions, that they are both clearly and enthusiastically willing to engage in sexual activity. Silence or lack of resistance does not count as consent. Some people aren’t able to give consent, such as individuals who are drunk, sleeping or unconscious, and some people with intellectual disabilities. Consent involves active communication, and knowing that one person always has to right to withdraw consent. This means that someone can consent to one activity (kissing) but not consent to another (sex). Consent, like sex, should be about respecting each other to make their own decisions about their body.
Getting consent can be simple: it’s all about communication. You can talk about boundaries before engaging sexual activity, but you should also regularly check in with a simple, “Is this okay?” to ensure everyone involved is comfortable with what is going on.
