Consent and sexual health are practical, ongoing parts of adult life. They are not obstacles to intimacy, and they do not need to be handled with shame.
Consent basics
- Consent should be informed, specific, voluntary, and reversible.
- Silence, pressure, intoxication, fear, or a previous yes are not a current yes.
- Ask before changing the activity, adding another person, recording anything, or sharing anything.
- A partner can pause or stop at any time. Treat that answer as complete.
Before and after sex
Talk about boundaries, safer-sex preferences, testing, contraception where relevant, and what support looks like afterward. If the conversation feels impossible, that is useful information about whether the situation is ready.
Use current guidance from the CDC sexual-health pages and Planned Parenthood’s health library. Their information is more current than a static page can be.
If something feels wrong
You can leave, block, pause, ask for help, or contact a healthcare professional. If you are in immediate danger, call your local emergency number. For crisis support, see Crisis Support.
This page provides general information only. It is not medical, legal, or professional advice.