The University of Georgia’s Health Center has removed guidance in a posting titled “COVID Considerations” that recommended students wear masks while having sex.
The university sent out notices to on-campus students that said they should “consider wearing a face mask during sex. Heavy breathing and panting can further spread the virus, and wearing a mask can reduce the risk,” according to OutKick.
“You are your safest sex partner. Practice solo sex, or limit the number of sexual partners you have,” said the recommendations.
The advice, which was also posted on social media platforms, was removed because the information was “mocked, ridiculed and criticized,” UGA spokesman Greg Trevor told the Athens Banner-Herald.
TRENDING: This Was Awkward: Joe Biden’s Handoff to Kamala Was Strange, Weird and What Was He Doing with that Podium Tap?
“The information was consistent with language that appears on multiple health and medical sites across the country, including the Mayo Clinic. However, when the information was mocked, ridiculed and criticized on social media, we decided to take it down,” he said, according to Fox News.
University of Georgia’s response to COVID: wear face masks during sex.
SEC! SEC! SEC! pic.twitter.com/l7oh5tAsSC
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) August 8, 2020
In June, a study from researchers at Harvard University said that in order to prevent transmitting COVID-19 from one person to another, both people should be wearing a face mask while having sex.
The study also advised against kissing. It suggested partners shower before and after the act, and clean everything with alcohol wipes or soap.
“Data are lacking regarding other routes of sexual transmission,” said the study, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. “Two small studies of SARS-CoV-2–infected people did not detect virus in semen or vaginal secretions. An additional study of semen samples from 38 patients detected the virus by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction in 6 patients (15.8%). However, the relevance regarding sexual transmission remains unknown. Until this is better understood, it would be prudent to consider semen potentially infectious.”
“Although 1 study failed to detect the virus in urine samples, there is evidence that SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acids were detected in a urine sample in at least 1 patient in another study. Until this is clarified, urine should also be considered potentially infectious. SARS-CoV-2 RNA has been detected in stool samples, raising concern for fecal–oral transmission (7). It is not clear, however, whether viral RNA detected in stool is capable of causing productive infection. Moreover, these data are moot, given that any in-person contact results in substantial risk for disease transmission owing to the virus’ stability on common surfaces and propensity to propagate in the oropharynx and respiratory tract,” said the study.
The study said maybe it’s best to avoid sex altogether in the age of SARS-CoV-2. “Abstinence is the lowest-risk approach to sexual health during the pandemic.”
The study also said there are alternatives, although “having sex with persons with whom they are self-quarantining is the safest approach.”
“Patients can be counseled to engage in sexual activity with partners via the telephone or video chat services,” said the study.
