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Consent

What is a sexual consent ?

Sexual consent is the agreement a person gives to his/her partner before engaging in sexual activity.

Consent must:

  •  Be given voluntarily (free and informed choice);
  •  Be clear. Silence is NOT evidence of consent;
  • Be given personally by the person who participates in the sexual activity.

Consent is given and withdraws at any time!

She said yes, but…

Consent is not valid when:

  • Given under the effect of fear
  • Given by someone other than yourself
  • Given when the person is intentionally or involuntary intoxicated (alcohol, drugs, medication)
  • Given by a person who suffer from an intellectual disability
  • Given by a person who is not old enough to consent to sexual activities
  • When the partner is in a position of authority, trust or exploitation or dependance on the person

Some precisions: 

A person does not have to physically resist sexual activity to conclude that he or she was not consenting.

Consent may be verbal or non-verbal. You can express your consent through words or participatory gestures.

The person must be able to express consent at each stage of sexual activity. So, before engaging in a different kind of sexual activity, the partner must first make sure that the other person agrees to go further. You may want to kiss someone, but you have the right not to want to have sex with him or her.

Consent must be given at the time of sexual activity, in the here and now. You have the right to say no now, even if you said yes before. Even during all sexual activities. It is possible that a person gives consent to sexual activity and then change their mind once it is started. If a person decides that they no longer want to continue the activity of a sexual nature, they can withdraw their consent at any time.

As soon as a person expresses his refusal by words or gestures, the partner must immediately stop the sexual activity in question. If the partner continues despite the refusal so expressed, he commits sexual assault.