Sex is vital in our lives. Staying sexually active is favorable for our body; stimulates the secretion of dopamine and serotonin which gives us a state of well-being, releases tension, raises self-esteem. However, in times of a pandemic, how can you have sex without getting COVID-19? The answer is not so simple.
The confinement and the restrictions imposed by the health authorities as control and public hygiene measures against the SARS-CoV-2 virus have raised an even greater barrier to social coexistence: isolation, which translates into possible boredom or loneliness. Even if you live as a couple, you are likely to consider whether it is safe to have sex during isolation.
Until now, it has been shown that the risk of COVID-19 infection increases when there is direct contact with the respiratory secretions (saliva, droplets, mucus) of an infected person when speaking, coughing or sneezing; and said secretion comes into contact with our respiratory mucosa or with our eyes. However, so far no medical study supports the possibility of contagion by contact (anal or vaginal), indicating that there is no evidence that the coronavirus is sexually transmitted.
Despite the good news, I hope you haven’t taken off your underwear yet. If social life has been disrupted by the coronavirus, sexual life too. To have sex in times of pandemic there is also a certain protocol to follow if we want to stay healthy.
It is advisable to avoid kisses. Since the main factor that compromises health is through the respiratory tract; the exchange between saliva and breathing as affective contact poses a high risk for those who kiss. In this way, a couple who lives under the same roof may have fewer restrictions on kissing than one whose encounter is usually occasional. The norm is relaxed for consolidated couples because the risk of contagion, if there is no exposure to the virus, is relatively low.
Instructions to have sex without getting COVID-19
The alternative to consummate the sexual act without kissing is to cover the face. At this point it may seem tedious and even boring to assume that there will be vaginal/anal penetration, with your face covered with a sanitary mask: then cover yourself creatively. Before getting intimate, you can get creative and dress up by covering your head with a mask, balaclava, face shield, motorcycle helmet, gas mask, welding mask, or scarf and goggles. The combinations are endless, there are no limits and it can even be an incentive for the imagination. On the other hand, you will combat everyday life with a fun touch of love and humor.
Another recommendation: avoid the practice of oral sex. The reasons that lead to taking this type of precaution: hygiene. Saliva as a lubricating fluid can contain viruses and at some point can compromise some other part of the body (such as the hands) and then inadvertently make contact with the face. If the temptation to perform oral sex becomes irresistible and unavoidable, the use of a mouth guard or a simple condom can help minimize the risk.
Something complementary to the sexual act in the coronavirus era would be the encouragement of fetishism through the use of sex toys and accessories for intimate encounters. The possibility of genital stimulation, role playing and active sexual imagination can be good intermediaries for full physical contact, although they will never be its substitutes.
The notion of safe sex today contains a totally different meaning. To consummate the intimate act, it would be advisable to assume sexual positions that block, limit or do not allow direct face-to-face contact.
In the same way, the use of condoms maintains its validity as a tool to counteract unwanted pregnancies, HIV or some venereal diseases; which, together with the coronavirus, become too many fronts to fight in this battle for survival. Given this scenario, we must assume that sexuality becomes somewhat complex.
Sexual intercourse is much more than penetration and if in this case you do not want to cover your face or assume sexual positions, which may be uncomfortable and hinder intimacy, you can opt for masturbation alone or with a partner. This would just be a return to self-exploration. If the manipulation of the sexual organs is done as a couple and mutually, then the satisfaction is doubled. It is understandable and even encouraging that the pleasure provided by genital stimulation can help to cope with this time of isolation with better spirits.
What do you need to have sex without getting COVID-19?
- Creativity.
- Caution.
- Hygiene.
- Practicing masturbation may reach other levels of self-satisfaction, and even discover new techniques to improve the repertoire.
Tips for having sex without getting COVID-19
A complementary option to masturbation would be to watch erotic or pornographic videos. It can be taken into account as an imaginary stimulus -if you are in a relationship-, or as an alternative route if you are alone. Sexuality has become a restrictive matter, as limited as social life. Right here, pornography can acquire a dimension of contribution to public welfare, not exclusive to adolescents. After all, who would have thought that the days of watching porn would not only return, but would bring benefits?
Maybe one day we’ll even give an academy award to a porn director, or erect a statue to the fallen porn actress (Mia Khaliah).
Sexting brings together those who for obvious reasons have distanced themselves geographically. The technology adds to the approach experience through video calls, WhatsApp, texts, phone calls or other resources. Sexting allows for a degree of intimacy to occur through virtual means and to be consumed through masturbation.
Sexting is nothing new, in fact it has increased to become a fairly recurring practice. However, with isolation it can become a safe option for sex. From explicit nudity to letting your imagination run wild with erotic fantasies can take place in this virtual environment where acquaintances and strangers alike can participate.
Although sexting is a safe form of sexuality against COVID-19, it is not safe for the privacy of the individual immersed in the web environment. There can be image leaks, data theft, deception regarding the identity of the other person, even a simple neglect of open files in environments where Wi-Fi networks are shared. Everything is possible. And unfortunately, almost everything is against it within this virtual ecosystem.
You are warned that whoever practices sexting is at their own responsibility and risk whatever they decide to share. It is preferable to expose images or other sensual and sexual content with known people than with strangers. However, measures and precautions are never too much.
Massage as sexual expression is another resource, although it seems limited to those who live under the same roof. A massage, in times of restriction, is an additional affective rediscovery to an intimate experience. Even knowing how to get creative, they can blindfold themselves or take a shower together with the lights off to feed the sense of touch, enriching it with the contours and textures of the couple.
Disguising yourself as an erotic experience also enters the repertoire of what is permissible. To consider, a good costume will be one that has the ability to cover the problematic areas of the human anatomy (head, hands…) and leave the rest available, especially the genital area.
To guarantee optimal sexuality in complete isolation, certain rules of hygiene, prevention and common sense must be followed:
- If you suspect that your partner is infected with the virus, or shows symptoms, refrain from any type of intimacy.
- Communicate with your partner: talk about how you feel. This is not just limited to the coronavirus.
- Before, during and after sexual intimacy take a shower.
- Use condoms, especially if your partner is casual.
- During sexting, protect yourself: make sure you know more about the identity of your interlocutor and do not share explicit sexual content with strangers, or acquaintances who exert pressure on something you do not want to do.
