In the wake of conflicting studies on whether or not COVID-19 is present in semen, researchers from three Boston hospitals have released sexual health guidelines describing the riskiest behavior, and offering some unusual advice about when to wear masks.
The guidelines, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, note that any type of in-person sexual activity is a COVID-19 risk factor given the limited data on sexual transmission, and the knowledge that SARS-CoV-2 can spread through saliva, mucus, aerosolized particles or, although less common, by touching the eyes, nose and mouth after touching an infected surface.
The sex-positive study ranks habits from the safest to the riskiest through the CDC’s social distancing model. Sexual abstinence and masturbation are the safest moves, followed by phone or video sex (which comes with its own risks, the authors warn) and sleeping with a live-in partner, if neither has been exposed or is asymptomatic. Sexual activity with a person other than those with whom you’re quarantining is considered the riskiest behavior — and the researchers recommend wearing a face mask in that case.
“We recognize that it may come as an unusual recommendation, but wearing a mask during intercourse with someone from outside the home may reduce risk, as may a range of other strategies, including showering, hand-washing and cleaning surfaces where the virus may reside following sex,” Dr. Jack Turban, lead author and resident physician in psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital and McLean Hospital tells Yahoo Life.
