The University of Georgia was the top school in the nation for sexual health the last time the Trojan condom company released its ratings in 2016.
But you wonât find guidance about sex and COVID-19 on the UGA University Health Centerâs sexual health page.
A short entry called “COVID-19 Considerations” was on the UHC website a few days ago, along with advice on a number of other sexual health topics such as consent, birth control, sexually transmitted infections and sexual decision making.
But after people posted the entry on Facebook and other social media, the university removed the advice.
“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,” explained UGA spokesman Greg Trevor.
“You are your safest sex partner,” the advice began. It also recommended washing hands and objects with water before and after sex, and notes that researchers have found the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 in semen and feces, though thereâs no evidence that the virus can be spread directly by sexual contact.
People should also consider wearing a mask, avoid kissing and be “creative” with sex positions.
As Trevor noted, the advice is consistent with advice other colleges and reputable medical sources have posted online.
“Can you get coronavirus from sex? The short answer is yes,” begins the University of Maryland Medical System in its post on COVID-19 and sex, which is much more detailed than the inital UGA post.
The concern for infection is not the sex per se, but the closeness
“The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is more contagious than any STD (sexually transmitted disease) because it is spread by droplets in the air. You can catch it just be being less than six feet away from an infected person. You can get it from touching a surface that was recently touched by a person who has COVID-19,” according to the University of Maryland Medical System advice.”Your risk goes up significantly with close contact, such as shaking hands. Simply getting close enough to have intercourse puts you at risk, regardless of whether you have sex.”
Wearing a mask is “not likely to prevent transmission if one of the partners has COVID-19,” according to the Maryland advice.