I am 17 years old and my girlfriend is 2 years 11 months younger then me. Is it illegal for us to have sex?

I forgot to mention that I am in Alberta, Canada.

So she is 14 or 15, Please be specific with her current age and her age when you first had sex.

We never had sex. She's currently 14.

Although Canada is a federation, the criminal law (including the definition of the age of consent) is in the exclusive jurisdiction of the federal government, so the age of consent is uniform throughout Canada. Section 151 of the Criminal Code of Canada makes it a crime to touch, for a sexual purpose, any person under the age of 16 years. Section 153 then goes on to prohibit the sexual touching of a person under 18 by a person in three circumstances: if he or she is in a "position of trust or authority" towards the youth, if the youth is in a "relationship of dependency" with him or her, or if the relationship is "exploitative". The term "position of trust or authority" is not defined in the Code but the courts have ruled that parents, teachers, and medical professionals hold a position of trust or authority towards youth they care for or teach. For determining whether a relationship is "exploitative", s. 153 (1.2) of the Code provides that a judge can consider how old the youth is, the difference in ages between the partners, how the relationship evolved, and the degree of control or influence that the older partner has over the youth.

What does the parents of a 14 year old child think about the two of you dating?

Her parents like me very much. She talks about me to them all the time. They know I am basically 3 years older then her. I'm not really interested in sex before marriage, I just wanted to know if the act would be illegal if it were to happen in the ''spur of the moment''.

Also, thank you for the response Chuck.

Keep the "spur of the moment" in your pants if you are not ready to be a parent.

Thank you for the response J_9, it's what I've been doing.

So, we know that it is not legal where you live. But what if it were?

Are you prepared to be a parent at your age? Do you have a job that will provide child support?

Remember there are considerations other than legality here. ;)

Well, I'm reading on a government website that aslong as the age cap from the two people isn't more then 5 years and you aren't in a position of trust, then it is not statutory rape. Law can seem so confusing! I know I used the word "sex", but I had in mind the act of "fooling around" (I hope I'm not going too much into detail). I wouldn't risk making her a teen mom. I have a job, and an online business which combined and balanced with school makes an average "salary", if you will. But that's not the point, and judging by your Bio as a nursing student I assume you must aid in a lot of deliveries, or have heard of stories and I'm very grateful of your response.

***or myself a teen father for that matter. Just not ready.

and judging by your Bio as a nursing student I assume you must aid in a lot of deliveries, or have heard of stories and I'm very greatful of your response.

I better update my BIO then, cause I've been out of school for a while now and am a full fledged labor and delivery nurse. :p Just delivered a baby about 30 minutes ago as a matter of fact.

Now, it's good to hear that you are thinking with the head on your shoulders. Just remember that even though there are laws, there are parental rules as well. If the parents find out about anything, they may try to keep the two of you apart, and make your relationship hell.

Spur of the moment things do occur. Sometimes it can get a little heated and neither party wants to stop. I've heard so many stories about... "it just happened, we didn't mean for it to, but we were so caught up in the moment." Nine months later that "moment" is born. Pregnancy can, and does, occur with the first sexual experience. There is no form of birth control that is 100% effective aside from abstinence. I, for one, had 2 children while using birth control pills AND the condom correctly (this was many years ago).

So, if you are not ready, don't play with fire. Keep your hands, lips, and ahhhem, to yourself. ;)

Reading through this thread, I have some mixed feelings here. You appear to be a very mature person with your feet on the ground. I'm very impressed by your responses.

Yet you are asking about a situation that doesn't fit. There is a very large gap in development between your ages. A 17 yr old boy is at a very different level of development than a 14 yr old girl. I would say the gap is even larger with the maturity you have displayed. Makes me wonder what the two of you would have in common. I'm curious as to how long you have been dating?

We've been dating since mid October. Though maybe I demonstrate more maturity then the typical person my age, I'd like to think that she's also very mature for her age.

Hmm dating for about a month and you are already thinking about sex? That is not encouraging.

Scott, it's my first girlfriend. Like I said earlier, I'm not interested in sex before marriage. It's just a question that's been on my mind should things ever happen. Thank you for your input.

Well, thanks for the input people. I'll definetely continue my abstinence.

Hold on a second. Would hugging/kissing be considered "touching with a sexual purpose"?

Would hugging/kissing be considered "touching with a sexual purpose"?

Generally no, but it could upset the parents.