Consent‑Only Sexual Morality Backfires

When consent becomes the sole public ethic for sexual relations, erotic negotiation turns into a transactional, litigable script rather than a social practice, producing uncertainty, performative compliance, and chilled sexual markets. That dynamic can interact with declines in relationships, lower marriage rates, and falling birthrates, creating broader demographic and legal consequences. — If true, this reframes consent debates from individual protection to a public‑policy issue that affects family formation, criminal‑law practice, and social trust.