How to have sex during the coronavirus pandemic when you are maintaining social distancing? Sounds tricky right? Well, if you take a few precautionary measures you can have sex with your partner who doesn't have any COVID-19 symptoms. According to a top doctor from Canada, you might want to skip kissing and wear a mask while having sex to help protect yourself and your partner from the spread of coronavirus.  Coronavirus Precautions: Can You Get COVID-19 From Having Sex or Kissing Your Partner? Here’s What You Should Know.

Dr Theresa Tam who is Canada's Chief Public Health Officer, issued a public statement advising people to stay safe from the virus when engaging in sexual activities. She said: "Sexual health is an important part of our overall health. However, sex can be complicated in the time of Covid-19. The lowest risk sexual activity during Covid-19 involves yourself alone". However, she goes ahead to say that for Canadians choosing to "engage in an in-person sexual encounter", a number of steps to reduce risk including "avoiding face-to-face contact or closeness."

She suggests that the partners must consider using a mask to cover the nose and mouth. "Current evidence indicates there is a very low likelihood of contracting the novel coronavirus through semen or vaginal fluids. However, even if the people involved do not have symptoms, sexual activity with new partners does increase your risk of getting or passing Covid-19 through close contact, like kissing," her statement.

Sex should be avoided if either person has Covid-19 symptoms, the statement says, suggesting "limiting your use of alcohol and other substances so you and your partner(s) are able to make safe decisions."

Since coronavirus can be transmitted via bodily fluids so one has to be extremely careful but New York's Health Department shared some valuable guidelines that include least risky ways to have sex during the pandemic! Asking people to keep the sexual intimacy "kinky" they asked people to avoid orgies and "be creative with sexual positions". They even asked to avoid face-to-face contact, and wear masks if needed to protect each other while having sex. How to Have Sex During COVID-19 Pandemic? From Masturbation to Wearing Mask While Having Intercourse, Here is What Harvard Experts Suggest. 

Goes without saying that using condoms and knowing the STI status of oneself and their partner is of utmost importance. Dr Tam concluded her statement saying, "By taking these precautions and staying conscious of the risks we assume, Canadians can find ways to enjoy physical intimacy while safeguarding the progress we have all made containing Covid-19". Earlier in the month of May,  scientists found traces of the virus in semen of the recovering coronavirus patients. The study was carried out by researchers in China who analysed the semen samples of men tested positive for COVID-19. Although it does not conclude as a definite yes, the researchers have expressed that sexual transmission of the deadly virus is possible. The study has been published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 04, 2020 09:13 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).