I don't believe anybody under the age of 18 is ready to have sex.
They make the mistake of believing that if they have sex, they will be together forever, and it only proves their love for each other. Reality is, they most often break up within the next year, and as they get older, they realise that having sex at 13 with someone they barely remember wasn't such a crash hot idea after all.
I started dating at 15, by choice. I was 'asked out' by a succession of boys from when I was 12 until I was about 15, when I met the one boy that appealed to me. He was intelligent, sensitive, courageous, genteel, respectful and kind.
We became best friends within a week, and eventually he confessed feelings for me, and asked me on a date.
I accepted, but told him first that I considered relationships to be treated as serious from the very start, and if he wanted to go down the road of sex, date for a few months, then split and find someone else, he had better look elsewhere for a girl.
I said I wasn't physically or emotionally ready for sex, and wouldn't want to have sex until I was 100% certain that the relationship would be a very long one, and that I was genuinely loved.
He agreed, said he respected that, he loved me, and would prove that by waiting until I was ready.
We were almost 19 and were engaged before we had sex for the first time, and it was something I could be, and am, intensely proud about.
7 years together, and our lack of sexual pressure in the beginning only made us stronger.
We have no trust issues or need to wonder if we're worse then the other's previous lovers...because we have no previous lovers.
We had almost 4 years to build a strong base of trust, friendship, love and respect before we made the final decision.