Wearing face coverings, avoiding kissing and opting for positions where partners are not face to face are among the ways couples can limit the risk of catching coronavirus while having sex, a charity has said.
Sexual health charity The Terrence Higgins Trust (THT) has published guidance on managing the risk of Covid-19 during intercourse after lockdown restrictions were imposed in March.
The trust said asking people to abstain from sex was not realistic and that people needed to find a way “to balance the need intimacy with the risks of the spread of Covid-19”.
Due to the social distancing measures introduced, the number of people seeking new sexual partners plummeted, according to research.
The charity, with sexual health clinic 56 Dean Street, found 84 per cent of people had abstained from sex outside of their immediate household because of the restrictions.
In the guidance, the charity advised the best sexual partner during the pandemic is yourself or someone you live with. Masturbation, using sex toys or participating in phone or online sex are recommended as the safest options, as these can be done at a distance from others.
If having sex with someone outside of your household, THT advised having one regular partner or limiting the number of sexual partners as well as taking other precautions. Potential sexual partners should discuss Covid-19 and ask if they or anyone in their household have had symptoms or tested positive.
The charity also recommends not having sex if you feel unwell and to isolate if you have symptoms.
Sexual partners are advised to wash their hands for 20 seconds before and after sex to help reduce the risk.
Due to the ways Covid-19 is spread, the charity further recommends not kissing and wearing a face covering during intercourse. The charity also advises picking positions where participants are not face to face.
Sexually active people are also advised to use condoms as well as dams for oral sex, as the Covid-19 virus is thought to be found in some bodily fluids.
THT’s medical director Dr Michael Brady said: “Sex is a very important part of life and asking people to avoid sex indefinitely is not realistic.
“That’s why, as the Covid-19 pandemic continues, we all need to find ways to balance our need for sex and intimacy with the risks of the spread of Covid-19.
“We’re clear that abstaining from sex is the best way to protect yourself from coronavirus. But we hope by issuing this advice we will help people to manage the risks of Covid-19 while also being able to have and enjoy sex.”
The charity has also stressed the importance of sexual health outside of the pandemic and also recommends getting an STI test before starting to have sex again.
THT previously said lockdown measures could have helped slow HIV transmission rates, creating an “incredible opportunity” to “break the chain” of HIV infection spread.
As it can take around a month after possible exposure to HIV for it to show up on a test, anyone who has not had sex since before lockdown will get an accurate result.