 Figuring out whether you're ready for sex can be one of the hardest decisions in life. It doesn't matter whether you're someone wanting to have sex for the very first time, or someone who's in a new relationship where sex hasn't happened yet. The thought process is pretty much the same. It's a big step and something we should all think pretty carefully about. So, how do you know if you're really ready for sex? 1. Assess the risks. First, you need to think about the risks associated with sex. And to be honest, there's a lot of them. We all know about the health and pregnancy risks of sex, and these are very important. But what about the emotional risks? What do you stand to lose? Will your relationship with that person be changed in a way you're not comfortable with? Sex can make us form a strong, compassionate connection with someone. Are you ready for those kinds of emotions? 2. Are you being pressured? You might think that having sex is the right thing to do, but is it really you who wants sex? Or is it the world around you, pressuring you into doing something you're not ready for? Peer pressure is a very real thing, especially when it comes to sex. Young people are under enormous pressure to lose their virginities, and it kind of becomes a competitive thing. Alternatively, even if you're not a virgin, people might still be pressuring you into having sex with someone new. In both situations, we really need to take a step back and figure out what we want and whether we're actually ready for sex. 3. Do you know where you stand in your relationship? This one is huge. Sex can change a relationship in pretty drastic ways, so it's important to know where you stand. Is it a serious relationship? Or are you two more friends than lovers? You need to make sure that both of you and your partner are on the same page. If one person ends up falling in love and the other isn't feeling it, it can lead to serious emotional and psychological distress. And if you two are friends with benefits, ask yourself if you're willing to lose that person as a friend. Because, believe us, it can happen. 4. Your genes might actually determine when you lose your virginity. Let's take a break from all the deep, heavy emotional stuff for some science coolness. Yes, we're talking about figuring out when you're ready for sex. But what if it's determined by your genes? That's right. Researchers at Cambridge University found that genetics might determine about 25% of the differences between when people lose their virginity. So what this means is that losing our virginity is something we can't rush, even if we want to. We have to wait for our bodies to be biologically prepared. And for some, hormones don't start firing until later in life, simply because of the genetics we were born with. 5. Think about your past experiences. Sometimes, the best way to come to a decision is to look into the past. What do your past experiences tell you? Learning from past relationships is a natural part of developing and maturing as an individual. And the mistakes we make in the past can help us improve our future romances. Did you have sex too early in past relationships? Maybe you felt like you could have had sex sooner in your last relationship. Perhaps you felt like you should have had a discussion with your partner before taking that next step. Obviously, this doesn't really apply to virgins. But if it's still your first time, you can still learn from the past. We can all look back on times where we rush things too quickly. In conclusion, the most important thing to remember is that you should definitely think long and hard about having sex before going through with it. If you really ponder everything we just talked about, we know you'll do the right thing. No pressure.