Sometimes when people ask if something’s ok, they want to know if it’s legal. There are “age of protection” laws about the age when someone is legally able to consent to sex and with who. If a sexual relationship falls outside of this law, it’s not ok. It’s considered sexual abuse and the older person can get charged with a serious crime.
Sometimes when people ask if something’s ok, they want to know if it’s healthy. Teens are much more likely to have healthy relationships with partners who are close in age. A 16 year old can legally consent to sexual activity, unless the other person is in a position of power (e.g., teacher, coach, or employer) or the sexual activity will take advantage of the person (e.g., pornography, prostitution, and trading sex for safety). Consent means that both partners agree to the sexual activity, and everyone understands what they’re agreeing to.
Deciding to be intimate with someone is a very personal choice and only you can decide what is right for you. Often, when there’s a big age gap between partners, especially when one person is a teen, some elements of a healthy relationship can be missing. There may also be more sexual pressure in these types of relationships. It’s important to decide if the relationship is healthy or not. Any healthy relationship, no matter what the age, has respect, trust, honesty, fairness, equality and good communication.
To learn more about the age of consent and sexual activity, see the question above – What is the age of consent?