Safe sex takes on a new meaning during coronavirus. Should you add more protection?
At this point in the coronavirus pandemic, it’s well known that standing less than 6 feet from someone increases your risk of contracting COVID-19, the disease the virus causes.
It’s also understood that coughing and sneezing can spread respiratory droplets carrying virus particles to those nearby, but what about sex?
Experts say all close contact — sexual or not — can expose you to the coronavirus, but some say there’s still a need to balance intimacy with personal safety and infection control.
“We would strongly recommend sexually active persons be very selective in their sexual partnerships, pay attention to partners’ health and limit new partnerships to the fewest possible,” Dr. H. Hunter Handsfield, an American Sexual Health Association (ASHA) expert and a professor emeritus at the University of Washington department of medicine, told ASHA.
“The lowest sexual risk of course will exist for mutually monogamous couples.”
There is currently no evidence that the coronavirus can be sexually transmitted, but several studies have found virus particles in blood, urine and feces samples of infected and recovered individuals.
However, it is unknown if non-respiratory fluids such as urine and semen can have “viable, infectious SARS-CoV-2,” meaning even if the virus is present, one may not get sick when coming into contact with it, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
There is also no evidence of the coronavirus in vaginal fluid, and previous research has shown that similar coronaviruses are not easily spread this way, the New York Health Department said.
Despite a lack of answers, officials in England recently made it illegal for people who live in different homes to stay overnight and have sex indoors, according to The Independent.
But what’s more concerning is disease transmission through kissing, contaminated surfaces and asymptomatic individuals.
For these reasons, it’s important to keep social distancing, hand washing and proper disinfection of surfaces in mind.
Some experts even suggest wearing a mask during intercourse, according to researchers at Harvard Medical School who ranked sexual activities from most to least safe amid the pandemic.
But with murky evidence surrounding viral transmission via non-respiratory fluids, wearing a mask during sex may not offer full protection.
Health officials also understand the body wants what the body wants, and for some, “complete abstinence from in-person sexual activity is not an achievable goal,” the Harvard researchers said.
Ranking the risks of sexual activities
After abstinence, masturbation is considered the lowest risk activity — as long as you wash your hands, experts say. Next is sexual activity via phone or video chat, the researchers found.
“Given privacy concerns, [people] should be counseled to use secure encrypted platforms,” when doing so, the researchers said.
The New York health department also recommends “video dates, sexting or chat rooms” in replacement of in-person intercourse, especially for sex workers or those who usually find partners online.
Sex with partners who live in the same home is the next safest option during the pandemic, experts say, although it still carries some risks if one or more partners are leaving the home to go to work or complete other essential trips.
Lastly, sex with people outside your quarantine circle introduces the highest risk of exposure to COVID-19, but if you decide to proceed, health officials say to minimize the number of partners, use condoms or dental dams, shower before and after intercourse and avoid partners who may be sick, according to Mayo Clinic.
“Beyond sex, there are other ways to create or maintain intimacy with a partner at a distance,” the outlet said. “Go on virtual dates together, share music you enjoy, write letters to one another or dress up for each other. Be creative.”
