ablackwomansurvivingrape:

UNDERSTANDING CONSENT

Consent is….
An agreement between individuals to engage in sexual activity. It requires ongoing communication about boundaries and what each person is comfortable with.
There are 5 core elements of consent- that it is freely given, reversible, informed, enthusiastic and specific.

Reversible:
You are allowed at anytime during a sexual experience to change your mind about what you want to do and what you are okay with.
It doesn’t matter if you have done it before or if you have already started. You are always allowed to change your mind.

Specific:
Consent requires being specific about what you are asking and what your expectations are.
Its important to re-establish consent for all changes or escalations of sexual activity. Giving consent to one thing is not consent to anything else, and consent given in the past is not the same as consenting to something in the moment.

Freely Given
Consenting is a choice you make without pressure, manipulation, coercion, or under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Freely given consent means there is real choice and nothing trying to convince you to say “YES” when you really want to say “NO.”

Enthusiastic:
If you are consenting to sex, it should be because you want to!
Instead of looking for the absence of a “NO,” enthusiastic consent focuses on looking for the “YES!” and other positive affirmations to signal comfort and enjoyment. Checking in often with your partner creates space for more enthusiastic consent!

Informed:
All must be equally informed in understanding what is going on or about to happen. You cant consent to something you don’t have all the accurate information about!
This is especially relevant when talking about sexual protection, as well as checking that all re fully in a state to understand and take in information to consent.

All of this! It’s beautifully put.