Sex during Covid-19

Let’s start with what we know right now. COVID-19 is a respiratory disease, so direct contact with saliva—through kissing, for example—can easily pass the virus. While COVID-19 has not yet been found in vaginal fluid, it has been found in feces of people who are infected. So this means that rimming (oral/anal contact) and anal sex may spread COVID-19 as well. Remember that condoms and dental dams reduce contact with saliva and feces during anal and oral sex or oral/anal contact.

All close contact (within 6 feet or 2 meters) with an infected person can expose you to the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) — whether you're engaged in sexual activity or not.

A recent study has also found the coronavirus in semen, both in men who had active infections and those who had recovered, but it isn’t clear at this point if it can be sexually transmitted through semen.

The virus spreads by respiratory droplets released when someone with the virus coughs, sneezes or talks. These droplets can be inhaled or land in the mouth or nose of a person nearby. Coming into contact with a person's spit through kissing or other sexual activities could expose you to the virus. People who have COVID-19 could also spread respiratory droplets onto their skin and personal belongings. A sexual partner could get the virus by touching these surfaces and then touching his or her mouth, nose or eyes. In addition, the COVID-19 virus can spread through contact with feces. It's possible that you could get the COVID-19 virus from sexual activities that expose you to fecal matter.

Based on current evidence, coronavirus - the virus that causes COVID-19 illness - is not passed on through vaginal or anal intercourse.

If you or your sexual partner are displaying symptoms of COVID-19 – a dry persistent cough, temperature, or difficulty breathing – you should limit all close physical contact to stop the spread of the virus. This means avoiding physical intimacy, such as kissing and cuddling, as well as anal, vaginal, or oral sex.

If you decide to go online, be aware of what you are sharing and who you are sharing it with. Remember to only do what feels right. Your partner may want to explore this new way of being sexual but you shouldn’t feel pressured to share sexual content over the phone or internet if you don’t want to.

If you live in the same house as a regular sexual partner and you both have no symptoms, then you can continue having sex (with consent) as normal for your relationship. 

If your partner is having sex with other people who don’t live with you, then this increases your risk of getting COVID-19.

If you have sex with someone you don’t live with there are a few things you can do to lower the risk of getting or spreading COVID-19.

• Avoid kissing or exchanging saliva with anyone outside of your household.
• Avoid sexual activities which include licking around the anus.
• Use condoms or dental dams to reduce contact with saliva or poo.
• 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.

Having sex with yourself, masturbation, has no COVID-19 risk and is one of the best ways to keep enjoying sex during this pandemic. You can also explore other ways to have sex without anyone physically present, including through phone or webcam.

Sexual Anatomy & Sex

As HIV can be transmitted sexually, youth need to understand their sexual anatomy and different types of sexual activity. It is important that adolescent sex education lessons include basic male and female anatomical structures and physiology, where these structures are located, and their function related to sexual activity and reproduction.

To be inclusive of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer youth and to educate young people about the positive aspects of sexuality, lessons should include:

Puberty (brain development, biological sex, and reproductive anatomy and physiology)

• Sex (types of sexual activity, risks associated with different types of sexual activity)
• Sexuality (sexual expression)
• Sexual health
• Sexual Anatomy

Beyond the four biological functions of reproduction, most people use their sex organs (penis, vagina) to express their attraction to or love for a sexual or romantic partner.

Female sexual and reproductive organs include (in alphabetical order):

• Accessory glands
• Fallopian tubes
• Ovaries
• Uterus
• Vagina
• Vulva
• Male sexual and reproductive organs include (in alphabetical order):

Bulbourethral glands

1. Network of excretory ducts (epididymis, ductus deferens (vas deferens), and ejaculatory ducts)
2. Pair of testes
3. Penis
4. Prostate
5. Seminal vesicles
6. In both females and males, the perianal region (area around the anus) and anus may also be used for sexual arousal.

Sex
Sex can be defined in many ways. While some people believe sex only includes vaginal sex (penis inserted in a vagina), sexual health experts know sex involves a spectrum of activities. Some people engage in no, some, or all types of sexual activity. Everyone is different and the way they express their sexuality is also different.

Types of sexual activity include (in alphabetical order):

• Anal sex (penis in anus)
• Dry humping (genital-to-genital)
• Fingering or hand jobs (hand-to-genital)
• Kissing (lip-to-lip or lip-to-body)
• Masturbation (exciting one's own genitals)
• Oral sex (mouth-to-penis, mouth-to-vagina, mouth-to-perianal region)
• Outercourse (sexual stimulation between partners without anal or vaginal penetration)
• Vaginal sex (penis in vagina)

While each activity is a way to express attraction to or love for a romantic or sexual partner, it comes with varying levels of risk for HIV, other STIs, and unintended pregnancy.

The sexual response cycle is the sequence of physical and emotional changes that occur as a person becomes sexually aroused in response to sexual activity. There are four phases in the cycle: excitement, plateau, orgasm, and resolution.

Pregnancy is caused by semen (ejaculate) or pre-ejaculate getting inside the vagina or vulva. Usually this occurs as a result of male orgasm achieved during vaginal sex. It may also happen if pre-ejaculate is released during penis-to-vulva contact without penetration. The most effective ways to prevent unwanted pregnancy are to: 1) choose not to be sexually active or 2) if sexually active, use a dual method (condom and another kind of birth control) every time.

To be inclusive of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer youth and to educate young people about the positive aspects of sexuality, lessons should include:

• Puberty (brain development, biological sex, and reproductive anatomy and physiology)
• Sex (types of sexual activity, risks associated with different types of sexual activity)
• Sexuality (sexual expression)
• Sexual health