COVID SEX GUIDANCE from nyc.gov

Safer Sex and COVID-19 All New Yorkers should stay home as much as possible and minimize contact with others to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Sex is a normal part of life and should always be with the consent of all parties. This document offers strategies to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19 during sex. Decisions about sex and sexuality need to be balanced with personal and public health. During this extended public health emergency, people will and should have sex. Consider using harm reduction strategies to reduce the risk to yourself, your partners, and our community. But can you have sex? Yes! Here are some tips for how to enjoy safer sex and reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19. 1. Know how COVID-19 spreads. • You can get COVID-19 from a person who has it. o The virus spreads through particles in the saliva, mucus or breath of people with COVID-19, even from people who do not have symptoms. • We still have a lot to learn about COVID-19 and sex. o The virus has been found in the semen and feces (poop) of people with COVID-19. o We do not know if COVID-19 can be spread through vaginal or anal sex. o We know that other coronaviruses do not easily spread through sex. This means sex is not likely a common way that COVID-19 spreads. 2. Have sex only with people close to you. • You are your safest sex partner. Masturbation will not spread COVID-19, especially if you wash your hands (and any sex toys) with soap and water for at least 20 seconds before and after sex. • The next safest partner is someone you live with. Having close contact — including sex — with only a small circle of people helps prevent spreading COVID-19. o Have sex only with consenting partners. o To learn more about consent, visit on.nyc.gov/consent. • You should limit close contact — including sex — with anyone outside your household. If you do have sex with others outside of your household, have as few partners as possible and pick partners you trust. Talk about COVID-19 risk factors, just as you would discuss PrEP, condoms, and other safer sex topics. Ask them about COVID-19 before you hook up. o Do they have symptoms or have they had symptoms in the last 14 days? Most people with COVID-19 have symptoms, but asymptomatic spread is possible. Fever, cough, sore throat, and shortness of breath are symptoms to ask about. Note that asking about symptoms is not a perfect way to know whether someone has COVID-19. o Have they been diagnosed with COVID-19 using a nasal swab or saliva test? People who have recovered from COVID-19 at least 10 days from the day their symptoms started and who have not had fever for at least three days are likely no longer infectious. 6.8.20 1