For the application of criminal law in practice, the age of sexual consent is great importance. The qualification of the crime (for some offenses) depends on the age of the victim in cases of sexual integrity. Also, the age of the victim itself is a sign of the objective side (for example, sexual intercourse with a person who has not reached a certain age limit).
Of course, such formulations are not used in everyday life and it all comes down to the question: at what age can you engage in intimate life in the Russian Federation. In 2019-2020, there were no changes in the current criminal legislation in this regard and are not planned.
Definition of the term
There is no such concept as “age of consent” either in the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation or in the Family Code. Such a term is not and has never been used in Russian law, however, it is used in everyday life by analogy with Western countries: It is common in the USA and European countries.
In fact, in Russian law, this term should be understood as the permissible age of the sexual partner of an adult citizen, voluntary intimate intercourse with whom will not have any legal consequences for the other party. That is, this is the age at which you can engage in intimate life by mutual consent.
It has nothing to do with the age of puberty, although, of course, the latter was considered when forming the norms of law; these are concepts from their different spheres: law and medicine. Also, the age of consent should not be confused with the legal age of marriage. In Russia, according to Art. 13 of the RF IC, the permissible age for marriage is 18 years. Up to 18 years of age, marriage is possible in the presence of exceptional circumstances with the permission of the authorities local government, however, both citizens must be at least 16 years old.
Age of consent in Russia
The age of sexual consent in Russia in 2019-2020 can be determined by Articles 134 and 131 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. According to the first specified norm, it is considered a crime to have sexual intercourse with a person under 16 years of age. But the subject of this crime is special; charges under this article can only be brought against a citizen who has reached the age of 18.
That is, according to the norms of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, up to 18 years of age you can engage in intimate life, moreover, they do not contradict the law sexual relations between adolescents not older than 18 years of age if they have reached the age of 14 years.
However, according to the note to Art. 131 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, sexual intercourse with a person under 12 years of age can be recognized as rape. Legislators believe that adolescents under this age do not understand the nature of the acts committed against them and cannot give informed consent to sexual relations. Essentially they are in a helpless state.
What does the age of sexual consent mean and at what age can you legally engage in intimate life in Russia?
The age of sexual consent is the age at which sexual contact with a partner who has reached it is not punishable by law. In the Russian Federation, the general age of consent is established in Art. 134 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, according to which sexual intercourse with a person is illegal if he is under 16 years of age.
Question of qualifications
Responsibility arises for sexual intercourse with a citizen under 16 years of age from a person who has turned 18 years old, under the following articles:
- from 14 to 16 years old - Part 1, 2 Art. 134 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation;
- if the victim is under 14 years old, but has already turned 12 - Part 3 of Art. 134 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation;
- under 12 years old - pp. "b" part 4 art. 131 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.
Although the general age at which a person can be brought to criminal responsibility is 16 years, for some offenses the legislator makes an exception. Among them is Art. 134 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. If the victim has not reached the age of 12, persons over the age of 14 are held criminally liable. This conclusion is drawn from a systematic interpretation of the norms (Articles 20, 134, note to Article 131 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).
Latest changes in legislation
Since 2013, sexual relations with a minor between the ages of 16 and 18 may be subject to criminal prosecution if it is proven that the teenager is involved in sexual relations for the provision of related services.
If it is established that the victim expressed consent on the basis of receiving any reward (monetary or other nature, as well as due to the promise of reward to another person), the actions of the perpetrator, who has reached the age of 18, will be qualified under Art. 240.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.
Is reconciliation possible?
According to the note to Art. 134 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, the accused may be released from punishment if the following circumstances exist:
- committing such a crime for the first time;
- elimination of the social danger of the act due to entering into official marital relations with the victim (victim).
This relaxation does not apply to qualified squads, that is, in the presence of aggravating circumstances set by law beyond the scope of Part 1 of the article.
In other countries
Age of sexual consent in different countries varies from 14 to 18 years. Legislation, as in Russia, does not always contain this specific term. In the US, it is determined at the state level (usually 16 years). In states - former republics of the USSR, the age of consent is usually 16 years, in Germany - 14, in France - 15, in Great Britain - 16.
IN Saudi Arabia And North Korea this indicator has not been established; in Yemen it is 9 years, in Angola and the Philippines - 12.
Issues of sex, as well as its safety, are relevant at any time. Some are interested in the age threshold, others – medical restrictions, and still others – moral motives. At what age is it safe to have sex if you have already started thinking about sex a long time ago? If you look at it in detail, then all three components are actually important.
Sex from the point of view of the law
Here it’s worth deciding right away: with voluntary consent and under compulsion, a connection occurs. If the latter, then sexual intercourse will be regarded as violence even at 20, 30 or 40 years old. At what age can you have sex without getting into an awkward situation? In the overwhelming majority of states, the permissible age of consent for sex is 16 years old, in some others it is up to 14. Their list includes:
- Yemen, where sexual intercourse is officially acceptable from age 9;
- Italy, Canada, Chile, Vatican, where intercourse is permitted starting at age 12;
- Spain, Austria, Serbia, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Estonia, Hungary, China – from 13;
- 48 other countries in the world allow sexual intercourse from 14 years of age.
Previously in Russia arbitrage practice recognized the age of consent as 14 years. But then everything was revised and returned to the 16-year period. Now this threshold is considered the threshold from which one can begin sexual activity.
But if the guy is over 18, he can be prosecuted and convicted of having sex with a minor. However, if he, like the girl, is not yet 18, then he does not bear any criminal punishment.
Sex from a physiological point of view
In each specific region of the globe, puberty occurs after reaching a certain number of years. Some people mature earlier, some later, so the start of sex is strictly individual. Much more important is mutual consent and the absence of sexual diseases.
Oddly enough, the presence of a vaginal infection affects the quality of first intimacy. Any illness can cause pain. And also stress and anxiety. They are the cause of discomfort, since muscle tightness does not allow the genitals to relax normally. So rupture of the hymen can be accompanied by pain not only in adulthood, but also at a fairly young age.
Sex from a psychological point of view
In this case, it all comes down to the long-known proverb that what you want, and what you need, and your mother doesn’t tell you to. But still, at what age can you make love without harm? That is, each individual situation depends on upbringing, including the intimate side of life. A prude will react in one way, a person of normal upbringing – in another, a perverted nature – in a third. Therefore, the question of whether early sex is good or not is perceived differently.
Some young ladies believe that they shouldn’t lag behind their friends and look like a black sheep compared to them, so they start having sex at the age of 12-13, since there are plenty of accelerators nowadays. Some girls, on the contrary, are much more comfortable psychologically remaining a virgin until marriage, others - until they meet their beloved. That is, everything is individual. One thing is for sure: the first sex should not happen under pressure “if you don’t give it, I’ll leave,” spontaneously or under the guy’s persuasion. 
Precautionary measures
- If your period started quite early and you are drawn to sex, the risk of pregnancy cannot be ruled out, so protection during contact will not be superfluous. The most reliable means is a condom. It will protect against infections, sexual diseases and unwanted pregnancy.
- At the time of the first sexual intercourse, severe pain may be noted if the girl is nervous and very tense. Therefore, you should not start sex if there is not enough arousal, and this is signaled by vaginal discharge - natural lubrication. If there is a deficiency, it is recommended to use a special lubricant available at a regular pharmacy. The fear factor can also affect tension.
- Another caution concerns personal hygiene. It is advisable to wash yourself before contact, as well as after it. This will prevent external microflora (from the labia) from entering the vagina.
- If pain occurs, the girl does not need to distance herself from her partner. On the contrary, she should lean forward, meeting him halfway. This reduces the time of psychological stress and painful sensations.
At what age can you have sex without harm to your health and, in general, at what age is this normal? Before starting sexual intercourse, you should definitely go to a gynecologist and consult about suspected inflammation. If such processes occur, it is better to undergo treatment, because an infection or disease can cause additional pain. Yes, you can also infect your loved one.
After the first intimacy, it is preferable not to have sex for several days. This will allow the hymen wounds to heal, which need to be lubricated with glycerin after each wash. A signal that everything is normal is the absence of tingling when applying the drug.
During subsequent contacts some discomfort occurs, but it does not pose any threat. It's just that the inside of the vagina adapts to the friction and pressure of a man's penis. To decrease discomfort, just use a lubricant.
A special position, suitable for both young girls and older ones, will help reduce pain at the moment of hymen rupture. The pelvis needs to be raised (to do this, place a small pillow or cushion under the buttocks), bend your legs at the knees and press them spread apart to your chest. Relax the muscles of the perineum.
During defloration, the penis should be quite hard, so first you should wait for maximum arousal so as not to torment your partner. It will help to control the situation top position body: resting your knees on the bed and grabbing the girl’s hips (or her shoulders) with your hands. This will keep the situation under control when pain occurs.
When starting sexual activity early, it is worth considering: the genital organs may lag behind in development, which is expressed in a lack of natural moisture, which does not allow a normal orgasm to be felt. To solve the problem, doctors recommend using artificial pharmaceutical lubricants, which are freely available and do not require a prescription. After some time, the genitals mature on their own. 
Desirable conditions for first sex
Due to inconvenience, fear or embarrassment, partners may experience discomfort, which provokes muscular tightness, making the young girl unable to achieve orgasm. In such cases, turning off the light (if intimacy takes place in the dark) or a scarf slightly covering the eyes helps. Required terms are:
- mutual consent of partners;
- availability of a comfortable bed;
- complete privacy;
- use of contraceptives.
The best remedy is a condom. It is lubricated, completely ready for use, and allows the penis to penetrate the vagina more easily. Available at any pharmacy, sold without a prescription, does not require prior medical consultation and has no contraindications (except for the presence of a severe allergy to latex products).
When washing after sex, you should give preference special means, appropriate for age, since there are separate drugs for both 14-year-olds and 40-year-olds. At best, let it be plain water, but not shampoos, gels or hand soaps, as they can cause irritation and itching due to the difference in alkaline balance.
If our parents' first love was most often platonic, today's generation prefers to approach matters in an adult way. And the reason is not only in times and mores, but rather in the availability of information about sexual relations, which was previously taboo.
The question of at what age can you have sex is of interest to today’s youth more from a legal and medical point of view: will they go to jail, guys think, and will there be health problems, girls think. Well, let's help them figure out this issue. Moreover, today for such information they go not to friends, and certainly not to parents, but to the World Wide Web.
Medical aspects
Physiological puberty occurs much earlier than emotional and psychological puberty. It is known that the first emissions (involuntary ejaculation during sleep) in fry occur at the age of 11–12 years. Their sperm is already quite capable of producing offspring. But, as a rule, they still have no thoughts about girls.
From the age of 13–14, secondary sexual characteristics appear: hair growth on the face, armpits, and scrotum. The guys' voices break, they dial muscle mass and grow rapidly. These phenomena are associated with the production of the male sex hormone – testosterone. Boys are cocky and begin to pay attention to girls and their beauty.
Judging by statistics, most guys by the age of 15–16 have already had their first sexual experience. But unlike girls, sex is a source of pride for them; they don’t always need to grow into it emotionally, and they certainly don’t wonder at what age can they have sex? The sooner, the better. However, this is not a reason to lose your head, because there is also legal responsibility, but more on that below.
Puberty in girls occurs with the appearance of menarche (first menstruation). They usually occur between the ages of 9 and 15 years. Not all of them can immediately have offspring. For some time, the cycle is established and can occur without ovulation. In order for a girl’s body to become ready for sexual relations, and therefore theoretically for pregnancy and childbirth, one menstrual cycle is not enough. Under the influence of hormones, a girl’s body changes: the hips become wider, the mammary glands enlarge.
Despite the fact that boys and girls physiologically mature for sex much earlier, they are psychologically ready for it no earlier than 17–18 years of age. That is why in the CIS countries the age of marriage is 18 years.
Who can be imprisoned and for what?
At what age can you legally have sex? The fact is that there is such a thing as the “age of sexual consent.” This is the age when a person has the right to independently decide whether to have an intimate relationship. In Russia it begins at the age of 16.
In this case, the connection must be voluntary. If a guy, even if he himself is not yet 18 years old, decides to sleep with a 15-year-old girl, then he can be charged under Articles 134 and 135 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation for sexual intercourse and indecent acts with a person known to be under the age of majority. Even if the girl herself offered sex.
By the way, similar charges await adult girls who try to have sex with a boy under 16 years of age.
Another news: not only sexual intercourse is considered debauchery, but also petting, as well as the demonstration of intimate parts of the body.
However, if a lover or mistress does not even realize that in front of them is a person who has not reached the age of sexual consent, then he will be found innocent. Of course, if in front of him is not a teenager under 14 years old. In this case, the actions would be classified as “sexual assault.”
Therefore, it is good if the question of at what age you can have sex will be asked not only by teenagers themselves, but it will also be voiced on educational work V educational institutions(schools and colleges).
What about other countries?
It’s not only in Russia that people think about the age at which you can have sex. But everyone has a different answer and different definition concepts of age of sexual consent. It is no secret that girls in some eastern countries are married off while still children.
So in Yemen, it is customary to get married at the age of 9; in Angola, the Philippines, Mexico, Argentina, Japan and South Korea, it is allowed to have sex from the age of 12–13. The most conservative countries on this issue remain Vietnam, Haiti, Malta, Nepal, Nigeria, Egypt, Iraq, Turkey and Pakistan, where sexual relations are possible from the age of 18, and Tunisia, where it is prohibited to do so until the age of 20.
The natural desire of any parent is to raise a child strong and healthy. Obviously, playing sports can help a child with this. However, there is not always a clear answer to the question, at what age should a child be enrolled in a particular sports section or school?
Of course, everything here is very individual. What matters is the child’s gender, the degree of his development, and finally, his predisposition to any sport. At the same time, it is simply necessary that the child himself has a desire to exercise, because attending “hard labor” training sessions chosen by the parents will only negatively affect his mental health. If parents do not take into account the child’s readiness to play sports, they may face the fact that the child will soon ask to be taken away from the section. It is likely that after the first negative experience the child will lose the desire to study altogether. It is in order to avoid such a reaction that parents should take very seriously the age at which they send their child to sports.
Assessment of physical development and condition
First important step Along the way there will be a consultation with a doctor. Do not neglect this consultation, because children’s health, and maybe even their whole life, is at stake. The doctor will examine the child, identify any contraindications and assess his level of physical development. Next, try to talk with the parents of those children who are already enrolled in any sport sections. Find out at what age they started taking their child to training, and if any problems subsequently arose.Every age has its own sport
As mentioned above, each sport has its own age. However, every year new, progressive training programs appear, and therefore many sports have become significantly “younger”. A striking example of this is the set of coordination sports, which includes rhythmic gymnastics, figure skating, synchronized swimming and others. Children are already accepted here V three years old, because the younger the child, the easier it is to develop all the necessary qualities in him. There are even cases when professional trainers personally come to kindergartens to notice talented and promising children.At four years old The road to the world of sports and rhythmic gymnastics opens up for girls. At the same age they begin to teach swimming. At the same time, if after a year of classes the girl confidently floats on the water, it is quite possible that she will be accepted for synchronized swimming lessons. Serious sports championships in this sport can be held among 8-10 year old participants.
At the age of six, if the child does not have any contraindications, he can safely be sent to figure skating.
At seven years old You can start doing acrobatics, sports dancing, table tennis.
With the coming eight to nine years old boys can start wrestling. You need to approach weightlifting with extreme caution. Despite the fact that formally one can come to this sport at 10 years, it is better to do this much later. The child's body has not yet formed, and weight training can significantly slow down growth.
Let's take a more specific look at some sports. Martial arts classes perfectly develop a child’s flexibility, coordination and precision of movements, and discipline. At the same time, girls can also learn it, the main thing is that they are interested in it. Certain types of wrestling are clearly not suitable for young athletes. For example, concussions are common in boxing, and former boxers often suffer from epilepsy. Much safer are karate, judo, aikido or wushu classes - in principle, a child can come to the section even in five years.
Gymnastics, both artistic and artistic, is a very demanding sport. Heavy loads often lead to sprains, dislocations, and back pain. Of course, this develops flexibility, grace, and beauty, but is it worth the effort? If it’s hard for a child, you can easily transfer him to dance or ballet classes, where the same qualities are developed, but with less load. Of course, coaches advise bringing future champions into this sport at the age of four or five, but it is not too late for primary schoolchildren to start classes.
Perhaps no other sport can be as safe and at the same time useful for all ages as swimming. Swimming lessons give a child an excellent figure with good posture, and also have general health benefits. You can start classes at least from three months, because today there are many pools for joint swimming. The only thing that parents of girls may not like is the formation of broad shoulders, but this is observed only in professional athletes, and training once or twice a week does not have such an effect.
I’m 18 years old, my girlfriend is 15. I know that I can’t have sex, but she keeps pestering me, what should I do? And another question: can we at least kiss?
Andrey
There's an answer
Answers
Lawyer
Article 134 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation: Sexual intercourse and other actions of a sexual nature with a person under sixteen years of age“Sexual intercourse with a person under the age of sixteen, committed by a person who has reached the age of eighteen, is punishable by compulsory labor for a term of up to four hundred eighty hours, or by restriction of freedom for a term of up to four years, or by forced labor for a term of up to four years with deprivation of the right to occupy certain positions or engage in certain activities for a term of up to three years or without it, or imprisonment for a term of up to four years with deprivation of the right to hold certain positions or engage in certain activities for a term of up to ten years or without it."
Explain to your girlfriend that you are willing to wait. A real man protects the honor of his beloved. A woman is born to give love and receive love, to support and inspire her man, to help with advice, showing respect. Be feminine, soft. Be a reliable friend. This needs to be learned, and it takes time. And intimacy will happen in due time. Real men will never pay attention to easily accessible girls. You are not forbidden to kiss.
Answers
Lawyer
Sexual relations with a minor under the age of 16 entails criminal liability.According to Art. 134 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, sexual intercourse with a person under sixteen years of age, committed by a person who has reached eighteen years of age, is punishable by compulsory labor for a term of up to four hundred eighty hours, or by restriction of freedom for a term of up to four years, or by forced labor for a term of up to four years with deprivation of the right to hold certain positions or engage in certain activities for a term of up to three years or without it, or imprisonment for a term of up to four years with deprivation of the right to hold certain positions or engage in certain activities for a term of up to ten years or without it.
Explain this to your girlfriend, and I think she will understand everything.
I wish you good luck and patience!