Danish health chief says it’s absolutely fine to have casual sex despite social distancing
The head of the Danish Health Authority Søren Brostrøm
The head of the Danish Health Authority has said that people should not avoid having sex during the coronavirus pandemic, contradicting the advice given in other countries.
Søren Brostrøm, director general of the health authority, has said that single people are allowed hook-ups as long as they avoid large gatherings.
According to The Local, he told a press briefing: “Sex is good. Sex is healthy. We are sexual beings, and of course you can have sex in this situation.
“As with any other human contact, there is a risk of infection. But of course one must be able to have sex.”
The head of the Danish Health Authority Søren Brostrøm
Coronavirus is not sexually transmitted, but can easily spread through close bodily contact.
Denmark began an early lockdown against COVID-19 that has been effective at flattening the curve in the country, and it has already started to ease some lockdown measures, with hair salons, opticians and dentists re-opening while other businesses remain closed.
However, the advice on sexual contact is different in countries and areas that have been more severely impacted by the virus.
UK and NYC officials are warning against hook-ups.
New York City, where the spread of the virus has caused thousands of deaths, issued a safe sex guide that makes clear that the safest form of sex during the crisis is masturbation — and that “the next safest partner is someone you live with.”
The guidance says: “You should avoid close contact — including sex — with anyone outside your household. If you do have sex with others, have as few partners as possible.
“If you usually meet your sex partners online or make a living by having sex, consider taking a break from in-person dates.”
The same advice was given by UK’s national LGBT+ health adviser Dr Michael Brady, medical director at Terrence Higgins Trust.
He explained: “The country is now on lockdown to slow the spread of coronavirus and that has to include not hooking-up for sex.
“I’ve never been an advocate of promoting abstinence, but this message is not about protecting your sexual health: it’s about protecting your general health and those around you from a virus that can be deadly.
“This is extraordinary and unprecedented advice for us to be giving out, but these are extraordinary and unprecedented times.”
Dr Brady stressed: “This advice means that, unless you have sex with someone within your household, it’s important to find sexual pleasure in other ways.
“Despite the situation with COVID-19, we need to remember that sex is an important part of life, but right now we have to find other ways to achieve sexual pleasure and satisfaction.
“It’s only natural that we look to sex for pleasure, to relieve stress and anxiety or simply to pass the time – whether that’s with a regular partner or using hook-up apps.”
