Chomas, I’ve recently been speaking quite a bit about the possible risks of dating someone who is much older than you are as well as dating someone who already has a partner.

I’ve heard some young women complain that guys their own age were not mature enough or were ‘players’. But have you actually considered the benefits of dating someone closer to your own age? Here are a few:

1) You probably share interests

When you date someone around your own age, more often than not, the two of you have similar interests. If I think of myself as a teenager, what I liked back then is a bit different to what I like now. But even then it was always nice to have other teens who could relate because we generally liked the same things.

Being in a relationship where you can do things that you both enjoy is definitely a great thing, you have to admit chomas. When you and your partner both enjoy most activities, you don’t have to pretend or argue about the things you do together. And let’s face it, relationships should be comfortable and fun.

2) You have similar experiences

Someone around your own age is probably going through the same things you’re going through. You might have similar experiences at home and at school. Having this in common makes your partner easier to talk to because they are more likely to understand.

For example, say you are both in the same grade. You’d be writing exams around the same time, making it easier for you guys to make time for each other when you are both free.

3) Younger guys might be a lower sexual risk

The sad truth is that young girls are more at risk of contracting HIV than younger boys are. Young girls also have a higher rate of HIV than younger boys. One of the reasons for this could be that young girls believe older men are less of a risk and so tend to engage in risky sexual behaviour with older men. The higher rate of HIV in younger girls shows that being with someone older doesn’t mean being with someone who is ‘safer’. Young girls who date much older guys are actually at a higher risk of contracting HIV.

Sexual readiness is also something to consider when dating. While people often say that boys have sex more than girls, it’s actually been found that female teenagers between 15 and 19 were more likely than boys their same age to have sex. This means that more young girls were probably having sex with older men.

So dating someone your own age could mean not feeling pressured into having sex at an early age.

4) Your relationship probably wouldn’t be considered illegal.

Dating someone your own age also means not being worried about whether you or that person would get into trouble.

Although it might be hard to talk about, statutory rape is a real issue and it happens more often than we realise. Sometimes those in a relationship with much older people don’t even know that their partners could get into serious trouble.

According to the law, the legal age of consent is 16. Meaning that someone above the age of 18 is not allowed to date anyone below the age of 16. For those below the age of 16, the legal age of consent is 12. But this only applies to minors (between 12 and 15) who are dating within the same age rate.

So those are just a few reasons chomas. Can you think of any more? Tell me in the comment section.