Today, while I was driving to work I was thinking about all the under 18's on AB and thinking "Do their folks have any clue what they are up to?". At that point I thought, "oh thank God, I never had kids". Honestly, if I was 15 or 16 years old, this would be the last place that I would want to hang out. It's sort of like a coffee house, you think, kids drinking coffee.. nah, they want soda. With all the disclaimers and such in this world, I doubt anyone would be bringing a lawsuit for their children finding out about sex on the Internet from a bunch of adults. It does creep me out that kids who should be enjoying life as kids are so caught up with truly adult things. Then again, I had a lying 14 year old boy from Manhattan chasing after me on line and having a sex drive to rival any 40 year old man. One Sunday night his dad was using his computer while he was at the movies and the jig was up. Had no one asked the question about age and had not the young ones given truthful answers, it would have been blissful ignorance. It is really sad that parents either don't have the opportunity or just don't talk frankly and openly with their own kids.

Somebody owes me some baby sitting money!

I think the problem with minors asking for sex advice is that whilst you might be under an obligation to tell them they are too young to have sex, and stress the reasons why they shouldn't, you're also kind of under an obligation to give them the advice- particularly if it relates to something like contraception. (Seeing as you can't really, when it comes down to it, stop a fourteen year old from having sex, but you might be able to give them the information that helps to prevent them from contracting an STD) I think a lot of young people ask questions about sex on anonymous forums because they feel uncomfortable speaking to their parents, and are getting conflicting information from their peers. In a way I think its helpful if they can feel able to post questions on a forum such as this without being judged too harshly- that way the advice about waiting until they're older, using contraception, respecting yourself, talking to a trusted adult or whatever it might be is at least going to filter through in some way. I don't think it's ever helpful to withhold sex information from young people.

I think that those with hard knowledge should answer clearly and accurately. But do not answer if you are not sure or "have heard from firends" - pass on only solid information. Anybody asking that sort of question is already thinking about sex. I do not believe that hiding information from young people will stop them having sex. On the contrary, it is more likely to leave them feeling powerless and unable to say No when someone else tells them they should say yes. To keep them ignorant when they have sexual drives and they live in a world full of others with sexual drives is to send them into battle without armour. Of course, if relevant, one should point out all the laws against under-age sex, and the good reasons for those laws. But just telling teenagers "it is wrong" without giving reasons, at the age when they are at their most rebellious, simply will not work. So long as answers are accurate and clear, I think AnswerBag is providing a good service where young people can ask the questions they wouldn't ask elsewhere.

They're not going to stop having sex if people stop giving them advice.