Equal Relationships and Consent • What Can I Do • The Law

At 17, you are old enough to drive, old enough to graduate high school, and old enough to know the law.
In Illinois the age of consent is 17. If you are younger than 17, you cannot consent to sexual intercourse or any kind of sexual activity. If you are dating someone who is younger than 17, he/she cannot legally consent to sexual activity. Doing so is breaking a law, and can have devastating consequences.

If you are now, or are thinking of becoming sexually active, you had better know the law. In addition to the possibility of sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy, you could make a decision that will affect you and someone else for the rest of your lives.