Legislators are hoping to lower the age of sexual consent in Puerto Rico from 16 to 14, arguing that complaints from protective parents are overwhelming courts and teens should not be prosecuted for their sexual curiosity. "Many children have faced criminal proceedings for experimenting with their sexuality," said local Rep. Charlie Hernandez, a sponsor of the legislation. "That to me seems outrageous."

The proposal would reverse a 2004 amendment making it illegal to have consensual sex with anyone under 16, the minimum age for marriage with parental blessing. That decision was part of broader changes to Puerto Rico’s penal code, making it difficult to gauge what consent age most lawmakers support. The proposal to lower the consent age faces stiff opposition from religious groups, who say it would lead to more pregnancies and an increase in single mothers struggling to raise a child whereas studies from the USA show that the US states with the strictest anti-sex laws and abstinence campaigns have the highest rates of teen pregnancy.