March 24, 2020 / cetad.org.tr
Coronavirus spreads in our country like a wildfire as in the whole world. You must stay at home and contact others less to slow down spread of COVID-19.
Can we have a sexual intercourse in this period?
Here are some tips to enjoy sexual intercourses by preventing spread of COVID-19:
1. Understand how COVID-19 spreads
- You can get information from person with COVID-19.
- Virus might infect persons who are close to a person with COVID-19 in 1,5 - 2 meters when infected person coughs or sneezes.
- Virus might be transmitted directly by contact through saliva or mucus.
- We have so much to learn about COVID-19 and sexuality.
- COVID-19 is showed in feces of infected persons.
- COVID-19 have not been showed in semen or vaginal fluid yet.
- We know that other coronaviruses are not transmitted effectively through sexual intercourse.
2. Have sexual intercourse with persons who have the “closest” relationship with you
- “You” are the safest sex partner of yours. Masturbation does not spread COVID-19, but you must wash your hands (and any sex toy) for minimum 20 seconds with soap and water before and after sex.
- The second and safest partner is the person you live with. Having close contact with your immediate circle only including sexual intercourse will prevent spread of COVID-19.
- You must avoid from close contact with any person out of your house including sexual intercourse.
- If you know your sex partner online or you are a sex worker, consider having a break for face-to-face meetings. Video calls, virtual sex or chat rooms may be some options for you.
3. Be careful while having sexual intercourse.
- COVID-19 is transmitted easily while kissing. Avoid from kissing any person out of your immediate circle.
- Condoms and oral barriers may reduce contact with saliva or feces especially during oral or anal sex.
- Rimming (stimulating anus orally) might spread COVID-19. Virus in the feces might go through mouth.
- Hygiene before and after sex is much more important than ever.
- Wash your hands frequently for minimum 20 seconds with soap and water.
- Wash sex toys with soap and warm water.
- Disinfect keyboards and touch screens you share with others (to make video chat, watch pornographic videos or any other thing).
4. Take a break in sexual intercourse if you or your partner don’t / doesn’t feel well due to following situations.
- If you or your partner are/is COVID-19 positive, avoid from sexual intercourse, especially from kissing.
- If you don’t feel well and have symptoms of COVID-19 like fever, cough, sore throat or shortness of breath, avoid from sexual intercourse.
- If you or your partner have/has a medical disease that may increase severity of COVID-19, please take a break in sexuality.
- Medical situations include lung disease, cardiac disease, diabetes, cancer or weakness of immune system (for example, unsuppressed HIV and low CD4 cells.)
5. Prevent HIV infection, other sexually transmitted infections and unplanned pregnancy.
- HIV: Use of condom, pre-exposure prophylaxis and undeterminable viral load prevent HIV.
- Other STIs: Condoms help prevention of other STIs.
- Pregnancy: Make sure you have an effective birth control method in the next weeks.
This annotation was obtained from the website of “The NYC Health Department”
https://www1.nyc.gov/site/doh/health/health-topics/coronavirus.page
