Whether you’re hooking up casually, in a relationship, or experiencing intimacy for the first time, understanding consent is essential. Not only because we want to avoid the bad stuff, but because consent is the key to genuine connection, comfort, and pleasure. 

Boundaries are everywhere: self-help and relationship gurus on TikTok are encouraging us to set them, communicate them without fear, respect everyone else’s perfectly, never let anyone cross them, and get angry or remove them from your life when they do — even accidentally. Sounds like a lot of work— so what does it all mean?

Learning how to actively practise consent in all kinds of interactions and relationships — not just sexual or romantic — is one of the most compassionate things you can do for yourself and those around you. It builds trust, respect, and stronger relationships by showing you value other people’s boundaries — and your own. 

We hear these two terms discussed in the media, at school, uni, and work, but what they mean on their own and the difference between the terms can be unclear.While they’re deeply connected, there are key differences between the two, especially when legal definitions come into play. 

On the surface, the baseball metaphor is simply a way to hint at what went down with someone intimately. Peel it back, and it actually reveals some commonly held misconceptions people have about flirting, dating and sex. 

From the absolutely pre-eminent Means Girl quote, “don’t have sex or you’ll get pregnant… and die,” to the rising trend in our generation to ditch condoms, it can be hard to work out what’s important, misinformation, scare tactics, or how you’re supposed to talk about this stuff without feeling awkward or judged.