Don't worry, the Northern Territory has the answer.

Under the NT's changes in its Care and Protection of Children Act, health care workers and family members alike are now required by law to report any sexual activity in teens under 16.

This includes catching out a teen buying condoms or seeing a physician for birth control.

Failure to report can incur a fine up to $20,000.

According to the NT Government, these measures will help protect their children.

I'm curious. What does the NT plan to do when in nine months, there is a sudden boom in teenage mothers?

The legislation, although having been in place for months, is only now being enforced in the NT Health

Department. Staff have been told to report anyone under 16 who is sexually active, even if that person's sexual partner is also under 16 or of the same age.

Consent didn't even come into the equation, according to Dr David Ashbridge, chief executive of the NT Health

Department.

''Children 16 years or younger are unable to consent, because the law of the Northern Territory says that they can't.''

So consent doesn't exist under the age of 16, apparently.

Because maturity is clearly something you only gain when you turn 16.

Well, in that case, why only 16? Why not prevent people from having sex until, say, age 35?

If teens were already having sex prior to these measures, what good will it do to take away the only means through which they can do so safely?

''But if they're scared of getting caught, they won't do it!'' I hear you say.

Some may well do just that. But if that theory worked, then wouldn't crime also be non-existent?

While I don't like the idea of teens under the age of 16 having sex, I strongly believe that if they choose to, they should be able to do so safely.

All this legislation will do is promote unsafe sex practices among young people.

In an ideal world, people under 18 wouldn't drink or smoke. But they do.

Whether or not they just brazenly buy tobacco or alcohol themselves, or get an older friend or relative to buy for them, it will be the same story with contraceptives.

Only in this instance, the effect will be the reverse - rather than protecting the health and wellbeing of teens, it will instead lead to a rise in STIs.

All this legislation has achieved is to create a sense

of fear and oppression - when it is open and frank discussion and education that is really needed.