At a time when people are taking every step to prevent them from getting infected from deadly coronavirus, a study has been conducted to find how safe it is to have sex during the pandemic.
Researchers at Harvard University found that there is some risk of transmitting coronavirus between partners during lovemaking. The study recommends, among other practices, wearing a face mask during hooking up.
Titled Sexual Health in the SARS-CoV-2 Era, the study highlighted that couples must follow several other precautions while getting intimate.
The study said that in order to avoid the transmission of the novel virus, it is absolutely imperative to take a shower before and after sex. Also, “cleaning of the physical space with soap or alcohol wipes” is necessary.
Researchers also added that men might have traces of the COVID-19 virus in their semen and therefore it is necessary to wear condoms during sexual activity.
The study which assessed the sexual health implications of the virus, ranked different methods of sexual activity in order from safest to least-safe in terms of spreading the COVDI-19 virus. Unsurprisingly, not having sex at all is the safest thing in the current pandemic situation.
“Given that abstinence-only recommendations, however, are likely to promote shame and unlikely to achieve intended behavioral outcomes, sex-positive recommendations regarding remote sexual activity are optimal during the pandemic, balancing human needs for intimacy with personal safety and pandemic control,” the study said.
“Patients can be counseled to engage in sexual activity with partners via the telephone or video chat services. Given privacy concerns, they should be counseled to use secure encrypted platforms,” it added.
However, the study said that people should be warned about terms of privacy and sexual extortion. Considering the fact that complete abstinence from sex will a tough task for several people, the study said the “safest approach” would be “having sex with persons with whom they are self-quarantining.”
As per the study, if someone is having sex with someone outside his or her own household, the facemask is a must. It also suggested “avoiding sexual behaviours with a risk for fecal-oral transmission or that involve semen or urine.”
