Healthier Scotland. Scottish Government

New partner?

Ready for sex?

Sex is best when both people feel comfortable and ready to take things to the next level.

Before you begin a physical relationship with someone new, consider:

• Do you feel safe with this person?
• What kind of sexual activity do you want, if any?
• Do you want a relationship at all?
• Are you taking precautions for your sexual health?

Read our advice on other things that could help you decide if you're ready for sex.

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Choices

You should also pay attention to things that can affect the choices you make:

• Are you being pushed towards sex because of some kind of pressure?
• Is your judgement affected by alcohol or drugs?

Find more things you should think about in our page on choices.

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Take your time

It's easy to get carried away in the early days but that's no reason to rush things. If you are feeling rushed into things, you should stop to consider why you're feeling under pressure.

Taking the time to get to know each other a little will mean you'll feel more comfortable when you do decide to have sex – and the experience will be all the better for it.

Or it could give you time to realise this really isn't what you want – saving you heartache and regrets (possibly worse).

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Playing safe

Whatever fun you have, whenever you decide to have it, make sure you have safe sex.

Because you'll avoid sexually transmitted infections and unwanted pregnancies, both of you will stay free of regrets and can look forward to more good times in the future too.

Learn more about playing safe in our section on better sex.

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Alcohol and drugs

Alcohol and drugs can affect the choices we make about sex and this can lead to serious regrets later on.

They also make it more difficult to use protection properly and might make us skip over talking about what we really want.

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