Sex and Coronavirus

[MysticMeghan]

Believe it or not, I tried to post this on a FB site where people are talking about Coronavirus. They seem quite happy to allow people to post unfounded internet myth and scare stories (i.e. people making YouTube videos about how the world is going to end, etc.), as well as loads of people saying that they think they have the virus because they have a sniffle and being upset when they call 111 to demand a test and get short shrift. But the FB admins wouldn't let me have an opinion because that opinion was about sex and people would rather not think about that.

I have a teenager at University, so it's not like I don't know what is happening. People (and not just students, because we have stories of infidelity wrecking lives and families on MN every single day) routinely pick up dates on tinder or find prostitutes or random people in nightclubs and quite happily have sex and share all sorts of bodily fluids with people whose names they don't even know. We live in an age of self entitlement where people have been brought up to think that self gratification is some kind of human right.

I'm not trying to make judgements here but merely point out that a lot of the people I am referring to above may already be married or in relationships and having gotten jiggy with a complete stranger quite frequently go home and have sex with their partner and think nothing of it. But as the saying goes, when you sleep with someone you sleep with everyone they have ever slept with and particularly if they slept with a load of other people quite recently, if even one of those has Coronavirus then its a fair bet that Mr or Mrs Unfaithful is going to get it too.

My point is that you can have the cleanest house in the world, never go out, wash everything in bleach and wear facemasks, but you could be letting this virus into your home and your body without ever realising, because someone else just wanted a bit of fun and no-one in your town has it, so what's the harm.

Ok, so no-one in their right mind is going to have sex with someone who is obviously feverish and coughing, but what if they haven't exhibited symptoms yet? Or don't know?

Has no-one considered that this might be a great way for the virus to propagate quite happily and no amount of hand sanitiser or hand washing is going to help?

Just saying, because let's face it the BBC is never going to run a story on this one.

You sound bonkers.
Having sex involves close contact with another person. It's not going to be the semen that infects you, it will be breathing in their germs. If someone is concerned enough to be bleaching everything and wearing a facemask, presumably they won't be rolling around with a complete stranger

If you never go out, how are you going to pick up a one night stand? Also respiratory viruses are spread by fluids that come out of the respiratory tract not the reproductive tract.

@Worriedmum54321

Thanks for the personal attack.

Did you actually read my post? I never said anywhere that semen carries Coronavirus. If you're having sex with someone then presumably you in close proximity, breathing in what they are breathing, touching them, possibly kissing. Tongues in orifices. I don't need to spell it out, do I? You think because they don't sneeze or cough in your face you will be safe?

In an imaginary scenario, the person being unfaithful is not going to be the person cleaning with bleach. That is the careful person they carry it home to.

If I was as neurotic to keep my conditions sterile, catching it from someone else wouldn't be an issue and no-one would be coming in/out.

You'd have more risk from being sneezed on than catching it from a snog from a prostitute. Mainly because a lot of them are stopping the kissing part of the service, considering when they are ill they don't work.

Errr yeah if you have sex with someone who has it you’re likely to catch it 🤷🏽‍♀️
But surely that’s not rocket science is it!

Also if the person is visiting a prostitute, this would be as an in-call and so the shower is fully available to help minimise cross-contamination.

Point taken about prostitutes not kissing, but I was providing a catch all situation about the type of people you might have random sex with.

If that person you are having sex with (and if you don't even know their name, how do you know) is being a bit slapdash about hygiene, sneezing in their hands, not washing their hands after going out, then touching your face and your mouth, there is every chance.

The point I am making is that we have all this hysteria about keeping safe, but it's fairly pointless unless everyone in your household is similarly unselfish. And as we see every day on here, people can and do go out and associate with who they like.

So basically you went on to say ‘bUt Wot iF uR SpoUse iS chEaTInG oN U?’

So, you're reminding us that it won't matter how careful we are with personal hygiene measures if someone we live with comes into very close contact with someone else who is about to come down with the bug.

Thank you. I'm sure it hadn't occurred to any of us that we could catch it if another member of the household spent time at close quarters with an infected person.

@LuluBellaBlue

Yes it's not rocket science. So you keep safe by not having sex with random people. But what if your partner isn't so choosy?

Plenty of people in this world have shacked up with partners who are complete shits.

So awful people who cheat on their partner are exposing their partner to risk? This is nothing new. Any person who cheats on their partner is putting their partner at risk of serious illness or death. I don’t know why it deserves special mention now.

Nor is it surprising that anyone who participates in the hook-up culture is putting their own life at risk.

Op, it’s like you gave forgotten that serious sexually transmitted diseases exist

Weird thread. Of course sex will transmit Coronavirus. So will other ordinary things - school supermarkets gyms buses restaurants... just get on with living your life and take precautions where you can.

You're as much at risk catching from someone in a lift, at work or the supermarket. And can then pass it on to your loved ones. There doesn't need to be any cheating or exchange of bodily fluids.

Personal attack

Clearly it’s not rocket science if your going to be rolling around the sheets with an infected person the likely hood is you’re going become infected.

It’s just basic common sense.

The point I am making is that we have all this hysteria about keeping safe, but it's fairly pointless unless everyone in your household is similarly unselfish.
Yes if Dave is out shagging every Tam, Diana and Harriet then coming home to his ocd wife Sarah with shares in dettol, he's still bringing the risk of corona virus into the house. But he'll also bring it on when he gets the tube to work, goes to a meeting or a party, pops to the shops etc.

So Sarah is still at risk because Save is it in the world. His over active penis and poor morals are only a small component of the risk he has of catching it.

But what if your partner isn't so choosy?

You don’t really understand the meaning of contagious do you?

What the fuck has sex to do with it? A snog or indeed any intimate conversation over 15 mins would do it. What a weird way to vomit your issues about infidelity all over everyone.

Op, it’s like you gave forgotten that serious sexually transmitted diseases exist

Every one seems to have forgotten this. I bore myself sometimes, wondering why people are hooking up with people they've known less than six months without barrier contraception.

The advice used to be to use condoms for six months (count 'em. Months. Not dates), then both get tested for STIs, then go condom-free within the relationship.

Well. if your partner is cheating then you have bigger problems than the virus.

If my partner was cheating on me, literally the last thing I'd be worried about would be coronavirus.

@PotholeParadise

It seems like I'm stating the obvious I know. But people aren't going to modify their habits are they? If you routinely cheat on your partner for the most part you've been able to get away with it up until now. You use condoms, you shower, you keep quiet. If your partner picks up a cold because the person you slept with had a cold, it's no biggie.

The fact is, nobody in the world ever asked someone if they felt a bit under the weather before they had sex with them. And they're not going to start now.

The difference is that what they are bringing home now is a little bit more intimidating and dangerous than just a common cold. Yes, yes, we all heard stories of unfaithful partners giving their spouses STDs. But we have antibiotics for that.

Yes, your cohabitants could bring it into your home

Via any work or leisure activity. Whether or not you know exactly who they were with,

Banging on about infidelity is a bit tangential. If you want to make a point about getting diseases from unfaithful partners, then it would be more germane to be talking about STIs, rather than respiratory viruses

If my partner was cheating on me, literally the last thing I'd be worried about would be coronavirus.

This

All very entertaining. Particularly Dave & Sarah. Shares in dettol indeed. Marvellous!

Thank you all for a most entertaining afternoon.

Goodbye.

WHO:
"People can catch COVID-19 from others who have the virus. The disease can spread from person to person through small droplets from the nose or mouth which are spread when a person with COVID-19 coughs or exhales. These droplets land on objects and surfaces around the person. Other people then catch COVID-19 by touching these objects or surfaces, then touching their eyes, nose or mouth. People can also catch COVID-19 if they breathe in droplets from a person with COVID-19 who coughs out or exhales droplets. This is why it is important to stay more than 1 meter (3 feet) away from a person who is sick."