Assisted Reproductive Technology

[BmorePat87]

(08-17-2016, 05:24 PM)bfine32 Wrote: I think it could be a very interesting topic. For instance just doing quick research I found the age of 21 orginally came from old English Law where you became an adult at 21, then FDR lowered it because of the draft age lowering from 21 to 18.

Perhaps WWII is why we commonly consider 18 as the age of consent now.

Definitely interesting. I found this from GMU.
https://chnm.gmu.edu/cyh/case-studies/230

Seems like laws were around 12-13 from the 1200s to 1700 but raised to 16 in the 1800's and early 1900's when more research was done regarding psychological health. It makes reference to 21 having been an age for being allowed to consent to contractual agreements and having property rights, but sexual consent never aligned because they saw physiological maturity being the more important factor than psychological maturity. 

With changing attitudes surrounding sex and increased sexual activity in young adults, laws changed regarding the age of the person who has sex with a minor to account for teen dating. 

So it looks like 21 was the old psychological maturity age for contractual agreements and that change may very well have been a result of WWII, but sexual consent ages seem to have a separate evolution.