COVID & SEX

One of the safest ways to get off right now is sex that doesn’t involve physical contact with others. Phone sex, cam sex, and sexting are all COVID safe!

If you’re having phone or cam sex, or swapping pics, be aware of your personal safety. Your session might be recorded without your knowledge. Consider not showing your face, or camming from a neutral background.

Remember: consent issues are the same, regardless of COVID - it’s not OK (and is often illegal) to film or photograph someone without consent.

Universal precautions can help reduce COVID risks. Wear a mask in public or around others; thoroughly wash your hands; and cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze.

Physical distancing and keeping away from crowded places can also reduce COVID risks.

If you or your partner is feeling sick, skip sex and stay home. Having a high temperature; a new cough; or loss of taste or smell are all common COVID symptoms. Stay home!

It sucks – who wants to miss out on a hot date? But skipping sex if you’re feeling sick, or know that you’ve been recently exposed to someone with COVID symptoms, will help stop COVID being passed on.

Now is a good time to maintain other HIV + STI prevention strategies. Some are re-starting PrEP, or checking in with health providers. Regular STI testing ensures any STIs are quickly diagnosed and treated.

Just as with HIV and STI prevention choices, we’re all making decisions about COVID risk reduction strategies. If we’ve learnt anything from sexual health, it’s that stigma and judgement are counter-productive.

Use this time to talk openly and supportively about all the prevention options available. Uncertainty is scary but knowledge is power.

Many of us are reducing COVID risks by having sex with a lock-down fuck buddy. This means choosing one person to only have sex with for a block of time.

It doesn’t have to be the same person for the months ahead – you might agree to have different buddies on monthly rotation!

If you have a lock-down buddy then it’s important to be clear what your rules are. Be clear about expectations, and what you’ll do if one of you doesn’t stick to the agreements.

You can reduce your COVID risk by limiting the amount of physical contact that happens during sex.

You could wear a face mask or covering (kinky!) or have sex where you face away from each other.

You could also have sex using glory holes (holes in doors or water-proof curtains), or sex that doesn’t involve physical touching – such as watching each other jacking off.

You’re more likely to be exposed to COVID if you’re in a tightly-packed crowd with little ventilation. You’ll reduce your risk by staying away from crowds, or sex scenes with lots of people.

Or by taking your sex play into a well-ventilated place – on a roof-top, in the woods, or in a park.

We can pursue pleasure and intimacy during COVID. It's a great form of self-care. We’ve endured other pandemics and together our communities will make it through.

Finding ways to reduce risk during sex isn’t new. We can share information, keep up-to-date, and talk with each other.