Wear face masks and avoid kissing during sex

Wear face masks and avoid kissing during sex to reduce the spread of coronavirus, says sexual health charity

• Wearing face masks and avoiding kissing could control spread of coronavirus  
• The Terrence Higgins Trust published guidance on managing the risk of Covid-19
• Charity said it no longer realistic to ask people to completely refrain from sex

Wearing face masks, avoiding kissing and choosing positions that are not face to face during intercourse could help control the spread of coronavirus during the pandemic, a sexual charity has said.

As the nation continues to grapple with the coronavirus pandemic, The Terrence Higgins Trust (THT), a leading HIV and sexual health charity in the UK, has published guidance on managing the risk of Covid-19 among sexual partners.

The guidance comes after research carried out by the sexual clinic found that 84 per cent of people had abstained from sex outside of their immediate household because of the lockdown restrictions.   

After several months of the lockdown and its partial easing, the charity has now said it was no longer realistic to ask people to completely refrain from sex. 

The Terrence Higgins Trust (THT), a leading HIV and sexual health charity in the UK, has published guidance for sexual partners amid the coronavirus pandemic. (Stock image)

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.  

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 wearing face masks and avoiding kissing could help control the spread of coronavirus. (Stock image)

It comes after researchers at Harvard University in Boston ranked sexual scenarios in order of risk and said there were measures couples could take to try and prevent the spread of the virus

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.

The latest guidance comes months after doctors at Harvard University in Boston said avoiding kissing and wearing masks could reduce the risk of catching the virus. 

In their study, published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine, the team ranked sexual scenarios in their order of risk, with abstinence being the lowest risk and sex with people from other households being ranked as the highest risk. 

The experts, who were led by Dr Jack Turban, admitted that telling people not to have any sex was unlikely to work and instead suggested risk-reducing measures such as wearing masks, showering before and after sex, and disinfecting the area where they had sex afterwards. 

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