The New York City Health Department in its updated guidelines is suggesting that people use masks while having sex amid the coronavirus pandemic. The suggestion is in a bid to help people have safer sex as the city heads into phase one of its reopening. Also, the city's health department will soon be launching door-to-door delivery of safer sex products including condoms and HIV self-testing kits.
The New York City Health Department had earlier released detailed guidelines on practicing safe sex during the pandemic. The chances of Covid-19 getting transmitted through sex are yet to be studied closely by researchers.
NYC Heath Department Issues Safe Sex Guidelines
As New York City slowly starts to reopen, the health department has come up with a fresh set of guidelines encouraging people to use masks while having sex. The new "safer sex" guidelines have been drawn up to contain the spread of the coronavirus. Although the guidelines suggest that people stay at home as much as possible and minimize contact with others, they say that people "will and should have sex".
The New York City Health Department has been periodically updating the guidelines. The guidelines still maintain that "you are your safest sex partner". As per the guidelines, one should consider covering one's mouth and nose as "heavy breathing and panting" could raise the risk of spread of viruses. The guidelines also want people to get creative during sex by trying out new sexual positions and physical barriers, like walls, that allow sexual contact while preventing close face-to-face contact.
Condoms to be Delivered at Home
Besides issuing fresh guidelines, the New York City Health Department will also start free door-to-door condom delivery services, so that more people stay indoors during the pandemic. This, however, doesn't mean the health department will have to spend extra money for the service. Every year the health department distributes around 30 million male condoms, internal condoms and lubricants to around 3,500 non-profit organizations through its NYC Safer Sex Portal.
This year it won't be possible given that most of these organizations and businesses are still closed. The decision to launch the free home delivery service is a result of this, which will continue through July till the state further reopens.
The city health department's decision to issue fresh guidelines on safer sex during the pandemic comes after a study by Harvard physicians published in Annals of Internal Medicine suggested the use of facial masks during sex. However, whether Covid-19 can get transmitted through sex is yet to be studied closely.
Researchers and scientists have found coronavirus in feces and in men's semen, even after they began to recover from Covid-19. It thus raises the possibility that the virus could be sexually transmitted. According to the New York City Health Department, other coronaviruses do not easily spread through sex.
