Sex and Love during COVID-19 lockdown : All you need to know

The novel coronavirus responsible for COVID-19 has been quickly spreading around the world. In the United States, as well as in other countries, this has led to increasing calls to engage in social distancing practices. Many are wondering if it’s safe to date and/or have sex during the coronavirus pandemic.

This is not a simple yes or no question. The level of risk will be different depending on a variety of factors, including whether:

You are trying to meet someone new
You have an existing partner(s)
You live with your partner(s)
You and your partner(s) are able to generally avoid contacts outside your household(s)
You or your partner(s) are in a high-risk category
You or your partner(s) have symptoms and/or have tested positive for COVID-19

If you, someone you live with, or someone you are involved with has symptoms suggestive of COVID-19, including coughing, fever, or shortness of breath, you should take a timeout. No dating. No sex. Instead, you should call your doctor, ask if testing is appropriate, and figure out whether (and how) you should be seen.

You should try to stay away from other people, including other household members, and you should take appropriate precautions to minimize the risk of transmitting the illness to others. (If you have the flu or a cold, there is no downside to this. You’re still trying to keep the rest of your household from getting sick.) You should not go to the hospital, healthcare facilities, including clinics unless your doctor recommends it or you have symptoms that require immediate treatment.

Can Coronavirus Be Sexually Transmitted?

The question of whether COVID-19 is sexually transmitted is largely irrelevant to the risks of having sex with someone who is infected. Coronavirus is transmitted, among other ways, through droplet infection. Secretions from the mouth (consisting of saliva and mucus) and nose can contain the virus. Even if you don’t kiss the person you are having sex with, you are likely to be breathing closely together. You are likely to be touching the same surfaces, which someone could have touched with soiled fingers. Therefore, it doesn’t much matter if coronavirus can be transmitted through sex.

Sex With an Existing Partner You Live With

The risk of sex in the time of coronavirus depends a lot on who you are having sex with. If you are currently living with someone, and sharing a bed with them, it doesn’t much matter if you’re having sex. If one of you has COVID-19, the other will probably be exposed to it. In China, transmission within households was a major source of new COVID-19 infections.2 Sex is unlikely to add any additional risk. Therefore, if you two want to have sex, fears of coronavirus are not a good reason not to go for it. (This is assuming you are both asymptomatic. If one of you has symptoms, or tests positive, you should follow quarantine guidelines to reduce your risk as much as possible.)