In order to obtain informed consent, communication is vital. If either party says “no” at any point, revoking or withdrawing their consent, then the activity is no longer considered consensual. Sexual activity is only completely consensual when consent continues throughout the sexual act, and both parties have the legal capacity to give consent. Consenting to have sex with someone, only to discover it is actually the person’s twin, is not actually giving consent. In short, a person is giving consent to an expected situation. It’s more than just saying “yes.” For someone to be able to give voluntary informed consent to sex, they must be of legal age to have sex, they must not be coerced into agreeing, and they must be conscious.Ĭonsent also stands contrary to sexual deceit. The definition of consent is giving permission or agreement in no uncertain terms. It can be withdrawn at any time, and previously giving consent does not guarantee future consent, even for the same action. Sexual consent, at the base level, is communicating agreement to have sex.
Many people are still not entirely aware of what consent entails, or what constitutes sexual assault.Ī warning before we begin: The content of this guide discusses sensitive topics, and may be triggering for victims of sexual assault or rape. At the same time, the movement is helping people become aware that consent is absolutely necessary to ethically and legally have sex. The #MeToo movement has helped bring to light how prevalent sexual assault is (and has been) in America.