Having sex could spread the coronavirus - and only abstinence or masturbating are low risk, scientists have warned.
Doctors
at Harvard University in Boston have ranked different sexual scenarios
based on how likely someone is to catch the coronavirus.
The
most risky was having multiple sexual partners from different
households, while the least risky was avoiding sex until the virus has
disappeared.
They admitted that
abstaining from sex was 'not feasible for many' and that doctors should
be prepared to discuss how to minimise the risk of patients catching
Covid-19 during sex.
Avoiding kissing, wearing masks, and showering before and after sex could reduce the risk of catching the virus, they said.
While
phone sex or sexting could be suitable for adults, the researchers
warned it could lead to other problems such as blackmail, and that
online sexual predation had increased during the pandemic.
In
their study, published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine, the
team ranked sexual scenarios in the following order of risk:
- Abstinence - No sexual contact of any kind. Behaviour adds no risk of infection, 'though unfeasible for many'.
- Masturbation - 'Low risk for infection'.
- Sexual activity on digital platforms - Low risk for infection but potential for online abuse, legal complications arising from screenshots, not suitable for minors because of the potential for abuse or illegality.
- Sex with people within household - High risk of infection if partner catches the virus outside of the home.
- Sex with people from other households - High risk of infection, especially if there are multiple partners.
The
UK Government, as it lifted some strict lockdown rules today, clarified
that any physical contact - including sex - with someone who you don't
live with is still against the rules.
And
a study of 900 adults in Britain found only four out of 10 have had sex
since the start of lockdown, with young married couples most likely to
have done so.
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