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The medical community has concluded based on years of observation that during certain stages in development, sexual activity can cause long-term or irreparable psychological harm. Putting the age of consent at 18 establishes a bit of a buffer zone; the majority of people who have reached age 18 are either mature enough to make decisions about their sexual actions, or at least developed enough that they will not suffer psychological harm. There are frequently "Romeo and Juliet laws" that allow for a certain age difference across or below the 18 line because during mid-to-late adolescence, sexual activity with those of approximately the same age is not generally harmful while sex between someone in that age group and someone significantly older is highly likely to be coercive or otherwise harmful.
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I can't say without qualification that this is true or not. I do agree with it, I do believe it, I think it ties in well with what interests me in the evolution of sex, but I haven't looked at such studies or their validity.