Alex's Answer

Hello, you are very welcome to Ask Alex,

You are telling us that you are 11 years old and you desire to have sex. We want to let you know that many young people begin to get curious about sex and having sex, as they go through puberty. These are normal feelings. However, it is so very important to not have sex at this time, as you and your body are not mature enough to 1 make this decision (give your consent) and 2 having sex at this young age, could lead to higher risks of physical and emotional trauma later in your life.

There is a very good website b4udecide.ie/your-decision/why-its-better-to-wait/q-a/ which explains why you should wait until you are old enough emotionally and physically to have sex, but also gives “The facts…without the lecture”.

The Childline website has some articles too around sex which you may find helpful www.childline.ie/lets-talk-about-sex/. We would strongly ask that you make no decisions to have sex until you have spoken to a trusted adult in your life and read these articles. Perhaps you and your trusted adult could look at the B4uDecide website together.

If you think you cannot talk to somebody you know just yet, how would you feel talking anonymously to the Childline Team who are waiting to talk with you? We are available 24-hours a day, 7 days a week. You can phone us at  1800 66 66 66 or webchat with us through Live Chat on our website childline.ie. 

Remember, you do not have to go through anything on your own, Childline is always here for you; any reason, anytime.

Alex