What Age Should You Have Sex? Best Age to Be Sexually Active

We live in a generation that is afraid or uncomfortable to ask questions about sex, leading to many people being uneducated. You can do more damage to your future when you become sexually active but are not mentally prepared.

This is why many people have wondered at what age you should have sex or start having sex. This question has a somewhat complex answer as it is about more than being physically able to.

Readiness for sex has to do with mental maturity, knowledge about sex, and physical ability.

During this feature, we dive into the appropriate age for sex. We also discuss how to know if you are ready or not and how you can prepare for sex in the future.

Let’s get started.

Part 1. At What Age Should You Have Sex?

It is difficult to say what is the right age for sex as each individual is different. When you start having sex, it is based on your decision when you feel that you want to take things further. But deciding when to have sex can be influenced by peer pressure, which means you might not have been ready.

Your body goes through different changes in your teen years, and your biological maturity can only be determined when your body enters its optimal state. This is when women become fertile, and men have a stable hormone balance. You will also need to be sure of the health risks when participating in sex early in life. Most people are stuck with puberty issues when they become sexually active too early.

You would also need to understand sex and the consequences it bears.

Studies have shown that women start to develop between the ages of 10 to 15. Women are said to be fully mature and at the ideal age for sex when they reach 20 years old.

By the age of 20 to 25 years, the female body has reached optimal maturity and when they are the most fertile.

Male hormones tend to make men feel like having sex earlier than women, as these sex hormones have a stronger sense of sex. During puberty, your testosterone levels fluctuate so much, leaving your mind confused and feeling horny. Men might even have involutory horniness like “morning wood." The suggested age for males to become sexually active is when they understand the full consequences of STDs and pregnancy. Around 21 to 26 is the best age for men to reach full maturity. This also answers your question about the right age to start having sex.

Part 2. Which Age Group Is the Most Sexually Active?

Most people start with sexual activities between 15 and 17, but this age varies. Your social status, ethnicity, and environment significantly impact when you decide to have sex. Sexual activities change during their lives. As we become older, our hormones change, and this has a significant impact on our sexual lives.

But that still leaves us with the question, which age group is the most sexually active? As you get older, you become more comfortable with your body and learn what your likes are, which shifts you into the peak of sexuality. When you reach this peak, it is said that you become more sexual and aroused when with your partner. Once you reach a certain age, your sex hormones tend to get much less, which leaves you with little desire for sex.

Ages of 25 to 26 have been led to believe to be one most inactive sex ages. People around this age start gaining maturity and understanding the consequences of sex, leading to better decisions on starting sexual activity. This can also be because of the testosterone levels in men leveling out and finding the right amount for their body's needs. When you are a teenager, your testosterone levels are all over the place, making you feel hornier than usual. When you reach the age of maturity, your body needs to become accustomed to the new level of testosterone.

Finding accurate data on which age group is the most sexually active as many of our sexual choices depend on what is happening in our social spectrum. In 2017 data was collected from the Kinsey Institute, which led us to believe that people between the ages of 18 to 25 were the most sexually active age group.

Some reported over 100 sexual encounters a year, about twice a week. This is significantly higher than those aged 30 to 39 who said just under ninety times a year. As you get older, your sexual appetite diminishes, making you feel less and less like having sex.

Even with all these studies on the best area to start having sex and which age group is the most sexually active, these statics vary.

Married couples might have more sex than singles, but this can only be determined by the data collected.

Let’s talk to two people in the age group of 16 to 21.

Christie 16
I have thought about sex, but I am not ready for that decision. I have been in a relationship for about two years, but we have not decided to have sex.

Kayla 19
I have been having sex since I was 15, even though that might have been too young to start. Today I am even more sexually active and have found someone to settle down with. Our sexual life is busy and can happen up to four times a week, depending on our mood.

The following two people we talked to are married and between the ages of 26 and 30.

Micayla 26
Before we got married, we did have sex a lot, but we didn’t live together. Once we moved in together, we started having sex daily. It was only when we had kids that things started cooling down. At this moment, we have sex about once or twice a week.

Brian 29
When I was younger, I was not that interested in sex, and while all my friends were having sex with everyone, I did not. Once I met my wife, my sex life picked up, and we had sex once or twice a day. Our sex life is still quite active, a few times a week.

The last age group we look at is our early and late 30s.

Jess 31
I and my boyfriend have sex around once a week. But to be perfectly honest, there have been times when we would go a month without having sex. It all depends on how busy we are and feel.

Nico 39
I used to think, “when I am older, I am going to have sex every day." But as you get older, life gets busy, and you tend to feel much more tired after a long day. Sometimes sex is not even on your mind. We try to make time for each other and at least have sex once every two weeks. Some weeks we feel extra frisky, which might happen more.

Final Words

No one can tell you at what age you should have sex, as only you can know if you are physically and mentally ready for sex once you understand the consequences of sex and are willing to make the right decisions to protect yourself. You still have a long life ahead of you.

There is no need to rush into sex. Be sure this is what you want to do at this moment. Another thing you need to consider is whether your body is ready for sex. When you start puberty, your body will send you signals of readiness.

Look out for these signals, and use protection to help you avoid STDs and unwanted pregnancies.