It's 16 here.
On one hand, a 16-year-old has pretty much finished the bulk of puberty and should be able to understand the consequences. On the other hand, the brain doesn't stop developing until around 25. Also, the age of majority (when you become an adult in the eyes of the law) is 18 (also when you can serve in the military and, in most areas, use tobacco products) and we even restrict alcohol and marijuana (where it is legal) to people who are at least 21 (and some governments are pushing to raise the tobacco age to 21 as well).
I think up until you're 22, you should be able to have sex with people who are at most 4 years younger than you. An 18-year-old and a 14-year-old can be dating in high school. Past 22, the age of consent should be at least 18, unless the age of majority is bumped to 21 (which it will never be, because the military needs vulnerable young recruits just out of high school) in which the 4 year rule would continue until 25.
However, teenage pregnancy muddies this a little bit. However, if we would teach children how to have safe sex rather than be abstinent (which has been proven to not work, and actually leads to unsafe sex) then this could be a non-issue.
I just think it's ridiculous that an 18-year-old can be considered a child molester if they sleep with a 17-year-old in some areas. They could be born in the same week and it would still be illegal
