Consent occurs when all parties involved in a sexual act give permission to participate in specific acts or specific types of relationships. For many partners, consent may be as simple as asking if it's okay to touch a partner in a certain way and only doing so when the partner says "yes." Consent is an important aspect of sexual relationships because it helps ensure that all people are respected and feel safe.
In BDSM, consent tends to be obtained through detailed negotiation before a scene (either by contract or verbal agreement) and maintained by using safe words during a scene. This is because BDSM play often pushes more personal boundaries and involves play that may be uncomfortable, painful or even dangerous. Consent can be revoked at any point during a BDSM scene or relationship.
