Coronavirus and sex: How to get frisky without being risky during the pandemic
Gov. Andy Beshear has talked repeatedly in his daily press conferences about how COVID-19 has required Kentuckians to make deep sacrifices.
Many people have essentially been locked up alone — or with their partner or families — with nowhere to go and little to do. This tends to generate ... urges. Urges so strong that Beshear seems to have become a sex symbol online (Kentucky for Kentucky is even selling t-shirts).
Which begs the question: at a time when the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that people stay six feet apart, can people safely have sex during the pandemic?
The Fayette County Health Department has not issued any guidelines on COVID-19 and sexual intercourse, according to Kevin Hall, their spokesman. But Hall said from what he understands, “it’s not the bodily fluid exchange itself — it’s the close intimate contact that happens within 6 feet of each other.”
“Since sex is very intimate and requires close contact, you may be putting yourself at risk,” Hall said. “We can’t say to avoid intimacy, but we would advise people to be cautious.”
He advised people to pay close attention to the symptoms of the disease — fever, shortness of breath and a dry cough — and avoid having sex if someone is presenting symptoms.
Though Fayette County hasn’t issued guidelines on sex, the city that never sleeps has distributed two pages of advice on the issue.
According to the New York City Department of Health, the safest practice (apart from abstaining) is to stick to masturbation. It advised that “you are your safest sex partner.”
“Masturbation will not spread COVID-19, especially if you wash your hands (and any sex toys) with soap and water for at least 20 seconds before and after sex,” the guidelines say.
For people in monogamous relationships, the guidelines indicate they should be okay to have sex. Having close contact with your partner is still considered safe unless they are showing symptoms of COVID-19.
In the world of dating apps, where sex is sometimes a message away, the situation is riskier.
The New York City guidelines recommend limiting sex to as few partners as possible. It recommends taking a break from in-person dates and switching to video dates or sexting (sending sexual messages over text or email) instead.
“If you get one person going house to house... think about a honeybee,” Dr. Steven Stack, Kentucky’s public health commissioner, said Saturday. “A honeybee goes flower to flower. What do they do? They pollinate. They spread the pollen. Here the pollen is COVID-19. And so if you have one honeybee going house to house to house... you have just pollinated that disease.”
Stack was referring to people who offer in-house services, such as barbers or house cleaners, but the same advice could apply to casual hookups.
For those who continue to have sex outside monogamous relationships, the New York City Health Department advised against kissing, suggested using protection and washing up before and after sex.
Scientists don’t know a lot about how the new virus spreads, but the coronavirus hasn’t been found in semen or vaginal fluids. But it has been found in feces, the city warned.
Does social isolation affect sexual desires?
Kristen Mark, director of the sexual health promotion lab at the University of Kentucky, said while there is no research on this specific situation, social isolation can be lonely, which could lead to more sexual desires.
Mark said UK is starting to conduct a survey to see how people, especially single people, are handling sexual activity during the coronavirus, whether that’s more nostalgia for exes or finding different ways to engage with dating apps.
She said the situation could result in people being more creative in how they fulfill their sexual desires or could motivate people to learn their body better.
“Especially for people who don’t masturbate as often, this is an opportunity to engage with that and see what they like,” Mark said.
While kissing is an easy way to transmit the disease, Mark said it is probably safe if you live with that person or already have close contact with them.
“The benefits of kissing might outweigh the cost,” Mark said, adding that the intimacy that comes from kissing a partner is healthy.
But if someone starts showing symptoms, you should abstain.
“I think we just need to be really careful right now,” Mark said. “In general, we should avoid the exchange of sexual fluids unless you live with that person.”
Should I have sex?
Are you in a monogamous relationship? You’re fine unless your partner has symptoms
Are you single? Masturbation is safest. If you insist, limit sex to as few partners as possible. Use protection and wash before and after.
