Consent

Consent occurs when one person voluntarily agrees to the proposal or desires of another. It is a term of common speech, with specific definitions as used in such fields as the law, medicine, research, and sexual relationships.

The person agreeing must meet certain criteria:

• He or she must have a certain age. In the case of consenting to a sexual relationship this age is known as the age of consent.
• He or she must be able to clearly see the consequences of consenting. People with certain mental illnesses cannot consent, even though they may be adults.
• He or she must be awake. People who are unconscious, or sleeping cannot consent.This may also be true for people who are under the influence of certain drugs.

Types of Consent

There are several types of consent commonly used in a variety of different situations. The types of consent, and how to use them, may be very important.

Sexual Consent

Sexual consent is the agreement to have sex/a sexual relationship. A lack of consent in this situation, mainly a lack of consent before sex, is often referred to as rape (A highly illegal activity).