The age of sexual consent remains at 16
IN Jamaica the age of sexual consent is 16 years old. As such, a girl below the age of 16 cannot by law consent to having sexual intercourse with anyone, whether he is her boyfriend (and is of the same age or age group as she is) or an older man.
If a man has sex with a girl below the age of 16 then he may, upon conviction, be imprisoned for a term not exceeding seven years.
But despite teens being legally allowed to indulge in sexual activity from age 16, parents should warn them of the dangers involved in becoming sexually active from such an early age. They should be advised of the possibility of sexually transmitted diseases and teenage pregnancies.
The State of World Population 2013, produced by the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), notes that out of the 7.3 million births, two million are to girls who are 14 or younger, many of whom suffer “grave longterm health and social consequences from pregnancy”.
The report says that an estimated 70,000 adolescents in developing countries die each year from complications during pregnancy and childbirth.
Note that while the age of sexual consent is 16, the Jamaican Constitution stipulates that a citizen must reach the age of 18 years before he or she is legally an adult.
