Mr. Saletan's report on reasons to lower the age of sexual consent fails to mention some consequences of early sexual activity. The major consequences are sexually transmitted disease and pregnancy (often together). Younger people (under 25) tend to have higher rates of STD's, in part because they lack access to (or afraid to ask for) protection such as condoms. Another reason is inadequate and real-life sex education either from parents or school which also impacts teen pregnancy. How can lowering the age of consent reduce these particular consequence? Most men are horn dogs and we are giving them permission to exploit others at an earlier age. If puberty begins at 12 or earlier most children have no idea of what is happening to their bodies or why. Children and teens may explore their bodies (playing doctor) or agree to have sex with each other as a means to knowledge or becoming adults. That is what they do. I would not however expect a 12 year old to understand the complexity of romantic relationships intertwined with physical intimacy. That is the idea behind age limits. I certainly didn't understand relationships even at age 21. If the divorce rate and celebrity news is any guide most adults don't either.

But do you believe the public health and social benefits for the people that are deterred from having sex at a young age by our current age consent laws justifies laws that don’t taking into account the biologic factors Saletan describes in the article (women maturing faster, adult cognitive abilities at 16, adult emotional abilities at 25)?

And Saletan agrees with your comment that young people explore with sex before they are capable of consent. If the two are close in age, he believes, that should be factored when determining their guilt.

The idea that 12 year olds aren’t capable of consenting to a complex sexual relationship isn’t being questioned. Salentan is questioning if a 16 year old might, and if an adult is caught having sex with a 16 should they be treated differently then if the minor was 14 or under 12.