"Glory holes" listed among BC health officials' tips for safe sex amid pandemic

Jul 21 2020, 11:01 pm

BC health officials are sharing tips on having safe sex during the COVID-19 pandemic, to help reduce the spread of coronavirus while getting up close and personal.

According to the BC Centre for Disease Control, “people can, will and should continue to have sex during the COVID-19 pandemic,” but the key is to do it safely, with an emphasis on masturbation, given that “you are your safest sex partner.”

If you are masturbating with a partner, the BCCDC recommends physical distancing.

“Having 1, or a few, regular sex partner(s) can help lower the chances of being exposed to COVID-19,” says the BCCDC website.

Provincial health officials say they do not wish to discourage sexual contact during the pandemic but are instead offering up tips for people to get creative when they get busy — with one suggestion encouraging the use of glory holes.

“Choose sexual positions that limit face-to-face contact. Use barriers, like walls (e.g., glory holes) that allow for sexual contact but prevent close face-to-face contact.”

In addition, health officials encourage people to wash their bodies with soap and water before and after sex, avoid or limit “kissing or saliva exchange,” and to wear a mask during sex, because “heavy breathing during sex can create more droplets that may transmit COVID-19.”

If you’re feeling sick the best decision is to skip sex altogether, especially if you or your partner(s) has symptoms of COVID-19, been a contact of, or had exposure to a known case of COVID-19, or been advised to self-isolate.

The BCCDC also says that the virus has been found in semen and feces, and recommends the use of condoms, lubricant, and dental dams to further reduce the risk.

Last month, Dr. Bonnie Henry also commented on “summer loving” in the time of coronavirus, saying that decisions like this depend on each person’s individual circumstance.

Health officials say that it is not entirely clear yet if the virus can be transmitted through sex, but having few or regular sex partners is also key to mitigating risk and reducing the spread of the virus.

Those looking for more information can visit the BCCDC website.

Rumneek JohalRumneek Johal

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