Glossary
Consent
A clear, freely given, informed, and reversible yes to a specific activity — the foundation of any healthy intimate experience.
What consent means
Consent is an agreement between people to take part in a specific activity. To be meaningful it has to be freely given (no pressure, guilt, or manipulation), reversible (anyone can change their mind at any point), informed (everyone understands what they are agreeing to), enthusiastic (a genuine yes, not reluctant tolerance), and specific (agreeing to one thing is not agreeing to everything). A useful shorthand is the acronym FRIES. Consent is ongoing, not a one-time checkbox — it is checked in and confirmed as things unfold, not assumed from a past yes or a current relationship.
Silence is not consent
The absence of a no does not mean yes. Consent cannot be given by someone who is asleep, unconscious, heavily intoxicated, or otherwise unable to understand and respond. It also cannot be truly free when a power imbalance or outside pressure is in play. Because people can freeze, going along quietly is never proof of agreement. The reliable path is asking clearly, listening to the answer, and treating any hesitation as a reason to pause and check in rather than push forward.
Enthusiastic and ongoing
Healthy consent is less about a single permission and more about a continuous conversation. Enthusiastic consent means looking for a clear, willing yes rather than settling for 'I guess so.' Checking in — 'is this still good?', 'do you want to keep going?' — keeps everyone on the same page as desire, energy, and comfort shift. Consent given earlier can be withdrawn at any time, for any reason, without needing to justify it, and that boundary is respected immediately.
Tracking what a partner needs in Fervra
Consent and boundaries are easier to honor when you actually remember them. Fervra is a private journal where you can quietly note what a partner has said yes to, what is off the table, and how their comfort has shifted over time — so intentions turn into a pattern you can see rather than something you hope to recall. Every entry is private by default, with per-item visibility so you decide exactly what stays personal and what you choose to share, consent-aware, with a linked partner.
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