Welcome to Gaia! ::

Everyone is ready at different times. Some people feel ready and comfortable with sex on the first date, others like to wait at least a year. So what is early for me might not be early for you. And that means you can't pay attention to time here, you have to pay attention to whether you feel ready, are educated, are protected, and are prepared.

Judging by what you said here I'm not sure that you're ready for sex quite yet. And here's why I say that:

-You haven't talked to him about pregnancy yet (that can easily be fixed of course if you're ready to have that talk). Before having sex all couples should ideally talk about what they would do in case of accidental pregnancy.

-You say you love him and what this to last forever. Well, there's nothing wrong with saying that or with feeling that way of course. But it can also be a red flag because some people think sex will be all magic and rainbows. But before having sex you should know that it won't necessarily strengthen the relationship, that it won't necessarily make him stay with you, and that most relationships don't last for life. If you're not comfortable with the possibility of sleeping with him then breaking up down the road, you might want to wait.

-You posted here. Posting here is good of course because it's a way to get information. But the fact that you asked if we think you're ready also implies that you're not sure if you are.

-It sounds like you might not have experimented much. You mention holding hands and kissing. You also mention that he gives you manual sex. You didn't mention ever touching him though. Now touching him isn't really required, but it is a good idea. It's a way to familiarize yourself with your partner's body, to find out what kind of stimulation he likes, and to get you both more comfortable with the sexual side of your relationship. Oral sex can help there too, but again, it's not required or anything.

-You also didn't say anything about having birth control or seeing an ob-gyn.

Sooo before having sex you should ideally:

-Talk to him about pregnancy.

-Get birth control and learn how to use it. Condoms paired with one hormonal method (such as the pill, patch, ring, etc.) is generally best.

-Be prepared to see an ob-gyn. If you want hormonal birth control, you need an ob-gyn. If you get pregnant, you need an ob-gyn. If you get an STD, you need an ob-gyn. If you get a non-sexually transmitted infection, ob-gyn. And you'll need paps, which mean...ob-gyn. If you're too squeamish about a doctor poking and prodding your v****a a bit, then wait. Or if you have no way to get to an ob-gyn, wait.

-Talk about how you two think sex may or may not change your relationship. You won't know for sure until you actually have it, but it's good to talk about it to see if you're both on the same page.

-Be comfortable enough with him to talk about what feels good and what doesn't, have some idea of what he likes, feel pretty confident that he'll be open and honest with you about what feels good and what doesn't. Experimentation usually helps there.

-Have a water-based lubricant.