Couples should have sex while wearing face masks and rimming is a definite no-no, doctors say
People will have to wear masks during sex due to coronavirus, according to scientists (Channel 4/YouTube)
Sex is going to look very different as coronavirus restrictions ease, with scientists recommending people wear face masks to protect themselves and others.
The recommendation was made in a study conducted by researchers at Harvard University and published in Annals of Internal Medicine.
The study ranks sexual activity from the lowest risk of coronavirus transmission to the highest risk, The Independent reports.
And, needless to say, sex with another person – or people – is most likely to cause coronavirus transmission.
Under current restrictions in the UK, it is illegal for people to have sex with a person they do not live with – so the advice may not apply to that many people.
But if you are planning on having sex anyway, the researchers have a number of important recommendations on how to lower the risk of COVID-19 transmission.
People should wear face masks during sex during the coronavirus pandemic, so say goodbye to kissing.
First of all, all parties having sex should wear face masks, which also means kissing is gone out the window.
They also recommend that people minimise the number of sexual partners they sleep with and avoid sex with people showing symptoms of COVID-19.
And rimming is also off the table for the foreseeable future – the researchers write that sexual activity “with a risk for fecal-oral transmission” should be avoided.
Finally, after everyone’s had their fun, you should clean the entire place with soap or alcohol wipes in an effort to lower the risk of coronavirus transmission.
The researchers acknowledge that abstinence isn’t exactly feasible.
The Harvard study isn’t all bad news – not all sexual activity increases the risk of transmission of COVID-19.
According to the researchers, the best way to prevent the spread of the virus is, eh, abstinence – which the researchers note is “not feasible” for many – but there are other ways of having a fulfilled sex life with a bit of distance.
Masturbation is also considered “low risk” by the researchers, and in third place is sex through digital platforms.
However, the researchers note that people should be careful when storing and sharing images and videos of themselves and others.
