Should You Wear a Mask to Have Sex? Here’s What Doctors Say

As complicated as this coronavirus pandemic is with maintaining social distancing, wearing a mask, keeping hand sanitizer on you 24/7, staying away from large gatherings, and not seeing your loved ones…all of that can take a toll on you.

But it’s also taking a toll on your love and sex life. Doctors are now sharing how the virus can spread through saliva, mucus or the breath of those who have it, which comes with a new recommendation when you have sex: wearing a mask while you get it on.

“If you are going to touch each other’s genitals it’s likely that you will potentially be kissing at the same time – and we know the virus is passed through saliva,” Dr. Alex George, an Accident & Emergency doctor in the UK, said.

In a paper published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, Harvard researchers said people should wear masks and avoid kissing if they get together with somebody they’re not quarantining with.

They said that every form of “in-person sexual contact” carries a risk because the virus is “readily transmitted by aerosols.”

The researchers ranked sexual behaviors in ascending risk: Abstinence, masturbation, sex using digital platforms, sex with someone you’re quarantined with, and sex with somebody you’re not quarantined with.

The Mayo Clinic also said people should wear masks and avoid kissing when they have sex with someone from outside their household. It’s also a good idea to wash sex toys, wear condoms, and minimize your number of sex partners.

So what can we do?

The Terrence Higgins Trust published advice in August suggesting people avoid kissing, wear a face covering and choose positions that aren’t face-to-face during sex (No, really).