During the COVID-19 pandemic, many governments are asking people to stay indoors to limit physical contact between people and the spread of the virus.
Last week, new coronavirus guidelines in England made it illegal to have sex in your own home with a person from another household.
UK-based charity Avert have provided advice on how to take preventative measures during the lockdown to stop the spread of coronavirus.
Based on current evidence, coronavirus is not passed on through intercourse but it is transmitted via contact with droplets from the nose and mouth, including the saliva of an infected person, which can happen through close contact with others.
This means there is a significant risk of passing on COVID-19 through kissing and physical touching if one person has the virus.
According to the site you should:
- Avoid kissing or exchanging saliva with anyone outside of your household.
- Use condoms or dental dams to reduce contact with saliva.
- Take a shower and wash your hands and body thoroughly with soap and water both before and after sex.
- If you use sex toys, wash these thoroughly with soap and water and do not share them.
- Consider sexual arousal techniques that don’t involve physical contact – like talking.
- Mutual masturbation while physical distancing.
- Limit your physical interactions by reducing the number of sexual partners you have overall, and/or at the same time.
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If you need a sexual health test, contraception, pregancy test etc during the pandemic information is available on the Sexual Health Scotland website.
