Canada: Where Sex at 16 is A-Okay, So Long As It’s Not with a Dildo!

If you are a female, you may have held a mirror to your taco. If you were a guy, you might, um, have held a mirror to your nutsack? (Maybe. I’m not really sure about that second one. Don’t quote me on it!)

Exploring one’s body and discovering one’s sexuality as a teen can most definitely impact your relationship with yourself and future partners. Canada, however, doesn’t seem to be on board with this frame of mind.

The age of consent for sexual activity is 16 under Canadian law. There are no laws, however, restricting the sale of sex toys to anyone under the age of 18. Despite this, most sex toy retailers refuse to sell adult toys to anyone under the age of 18.

Essentially, you can screw other people — and run the risk of getting STDs, and getting knocked-up, etc. — but you can’t have sex with piece of plastic. That makes perfect sense. *Rolls eyes*

Sarah Flicker, an assistant professor at York University who is a principal investigator of the recently administrated Toronto Teen Survey, says her research is among the first to investigate teen use of sex toys.

Of the more than 1,200 youths aged 13 to 18 surveyed, 6.4 percent of girls and 3.9 percent of boys had used sex toys, Flicker reported. Of those teens 89.6 percent had also engaged in penetrative sex. The study did not ask where the youth accessed the toys or account for the use of common household objects as sex toys.

Though teen use of sex toys seems statistically low, sex educators and activists argue the toys should be available to anyone as part of healthy sexuality or as an alternative to intercourse with a partner.

Andrew Brett, media coordinator for the AIDS Committee of Toronto, says his organization supports youth access to sex toys. “It just seems like it would be much better if young people were able to access sex toys.

“There just has to be more spaces for young people to get their hands on not just sex toys but all kinds of ways of reducing harm, and that includes access to condoms, all kinds of safe sex tools.”

I definitely think teens should be allowed to purchase adult toys, if only because a) Unless it harms other, I don’t think anyone else should restrict a person from discovering one’s sexuality, and b) Just because a person is over 18 doesn’t mean they are mentally or emotionally mature.

Luckily for me I had a bidet growing up, so I pretty much got my fix without having to set foot in an adult toy store. Still, with growing numbers of teens doing stupid shit, like having anal sex because they think this preserves their virginity and prevents pregnancy, I would much rather them explore what feels right with toys then put themselves at risk. If anything because using the handle of hair brush as a dildo makes you feel like more of a perv then minute you orgasm and snap back into reality.

What do you roosters and clams think about the topic? Should teens have legal access to such toys? Discuss!!! 

Source: Xtra.ca via Nerve.com’s Scanner blog