Early on in
the pandemic, the New York City Department of Health released a
set of guidelines in a one-sheet aimed at addressing many of our sex-related
questions, even though not much was known about the virus. As New York was
heading into the first phase of reopening, an update to guidelines opened the
door for glory holes. Now the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control has
recommended the time-honored glory hole as a safe sex barrier to COVID-19.
"Updated
guidance on sex in the age of [the pandemic,]" New York's Dr. Demetre
Daskalakis wrote in a tweet, linking to the new guidelines. "The pandemic
changes and so does our guidance."
While the new
"safer sex" guidelines still maintain that "you are your safest
sex partner," followed by the consenting adult that you live with, the
department's professionals have provided some guidance for those who just can't
make that work. They advise limiting contact with anyone outside of the house
and say that "if two is company then three (or more) is definitely a
crowd," and as a result not safe. Still, if you have decided to go out
with a group, "pick larger, more open, and well-ventilated spaces,"
wear a mask and avoid kissing or touching your face, and "bring an
alcohol-based hand sanitizer."
The New York
guidelines also still recommend that you rely on virtual sex if possible, and
in addition to all of the other testing you do as a sexually active person,
consider adding an antibody test regularly. But when getting down to the actual
acts, there are some things to know. We don't know whether rimming could spread
the virus, but that's a possibility. Also, you should consider wearing "a
face covering or mask" that covers your nose and mouth as "heavy
breathing and panting" could spread things. They also explicitly advise
making things kinky by getting "creative with sexual positions and
physical barriers, like walls."
To that end,
the B.C. Centre for Disease Control likewise recommends masturbation as the
safest way to engage in sex in the time of COVID, but it also has a list of
recommended precautions explicitly calling for the use of glory holes as a
safer sex tool.
Under a
section titled "Steps to protect yourself during sex," the B.C. CDC suggests,
"Use barriers, like walls (e.g., glory holes), that allow for sexual
contact but prevent close face-to-face contact."
That said,
hygiene is key. Make sure to wash up before and after! And we would assume that
using multiple glory holes back to back — as is the habit at some venues —
probably defeats the purpose.
The NYC
Department of Health's new rules, released in June, came after a study by
Harvard physicians published in Annals of Internal Medicine also advocated for the use of masks.
Oh, and
condoms still help! "Condoms and dental dams can reduce contact with
saliva, semen, or feces" during sex, which could mitigate transmission. To
that end, the department has launched Door 2 Door, a citywide home delivery service that provides
at-home HIV testing, emergency contraception, post-exposure prophylaxis,
condoms, and more.
SOURCE: ADVOCATE
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