How can I date without touching or kissing? How can I have sex without breathing on my partner and putting each other at risk? How can I go without sex or other physical connectionfor such a long time?
The New York City Health Department has recently updated its Safer Sex and Covid 19 fact sheet with detailed and descriptive advice. The guidelines say ““you are your safest sex partner,” and that the “next safest partner” is someone in your household.
Here is what the guidelines say about safe sex during the pandemic:
Take care during sex
- Kissing can easily pass the virus. Avoid kissing anyone who is not part of your small circle of close contacts.
- Rimming (mouth on anus) might spread the virus. Virus in feces may enter your mouth and could lead to infection.
- Wear a face covering or mask. Maybe it’s your thing, maybe it’s not, but during COVID-19 wearing a face covering that covers your nose and mouth is a good way to add a layer of protection during sex.
- Heavy breathing and panting can spread the virus further, and if you or your partner have COVID-19 and don’t know it, a mask can help stop that spread.
- Make it a little kinky. Be creative with sexual positions and physical barriers, like walls, that allow sexual contact while preventing close face to face contact.
- Masturbate together. Use physical distance and face coverings to reduce the risk.
- Condoms and dental dams can reduce contact with saliva, semen or feces during oral
or anal sex.
Washing up before and after sex is more important than ever.
- Wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
- Wash sex toys with soap and warm water
- Disinfect keyboards and touch screens that you share with others
Skip sex if you or your partner are not feeling well.
- If you feel unwell, or even start to feel unwell, avoid kissing, sex or any close contact with
others. For more information, visit nyc.gov/health and search COVID symptoms. - If you have been exposed to someone with COVID-19, avoid close contact with anyone outside your household and follow NYC guidance about how to prevent exposing others. People exposed to COVID-19 should get tested for the virus using a swab or saliva test.
- If you or your partner have a medical condition that can lead to severe COVID-19 illness, you may also want to skip sex.
- Medical conditions include lung disease, moderate to severe asthma, heart disease, diabetes, obesity, kidney disease, liver disease, cancer or a weakened immune system
(for example, having unsuppressed HIV or a low CD4 count).
