Coronavirus, or COVID-19, was first documented in the United States in mid-late January and declared a pandemic mid-March by the World Health Organization (WHO). As a result, the first four months of 2020 have seen businesses send entire workforces to work remotely, borders closed, and schools shuttered.
Now, many homes are command central for work, schooling, childcare, and caregiving for spouses or relatives. Put simply, everything has changed. This article explores how couples can adapt to quarantine life to ensure that intimacy isn’t closed for business too.
Intimacy in the Time of a Pandemic
Many couples are now charged with maintaining work productivity while simultaneously taking care of meals, caring for children, and serving as de facto teachers for virtual schooling. It hardly feels like there’s enough time to take a shower after a day like that, let alone make time for intimacy with one’s partner. Despite jokes about COVID babies that will be born 9 months after the pandemic, having time for sex (or wanting to have sex) may sound impossible for some couples. So, how do people make sure social distance doesn’t creep into relationships as well?
Staying Connected during COVID-19
Though stressful, uncertain times can actually bring couples closer together. Communication is important in high-stress times like being homebound during a pandemic. Couples should work to create a time and space to communicate with each other that is free from distractions (that means no multitasking or cell phones allowed).
Once a space is established, couples can:
- Talk about how they’re feeling and ease each other’s anxiety
- Plan a mini date night at home (takeout, anyone?)
- Find a movie to watch or podcast to listen to
However, while it is important to make time for each other, it is also critical to keep your sense of self too, especially when you’re confined to the same space for an undetermined amount of time. That’s the advice one couple is giving after spending two weeks quarantined together on the Diamond Princess cruise ship.
Practice Safe Sex
Now that you have space for yourself and you’ve made time to reconnect with your partner, how does intimacy factor in? It essentially goes back to the timeless recommendation to practice safe sex. First, it is important to make sure both partners are healthy, free of COVID symptoms. While the virus has yet to be found in vaginal secretions or semen, it is known to be transmitted via saliva and has been found in feces. Thus, organizations are recommending ways to reduce contact with saliva and feces during sex, such as encouraging the use of condoms and dental dams.
Short on contraceptives items or worried about getting medications like Viagra to treat erectile dysfunction (ED)? Fortunately, these items can be delivered as easily as restaurant takeout or grocery deliveries thanks to telemedicine. The rise of virtual health care means men can get diagnosed with ED and mailed Viagra without ever having to leave their homes. Hopefully, isolation will get a lot less lonely.
If you are interested in learning more about ordering ED medications like Viagra with online convenience and discretion, visit the eDrugstore Erectile Dysfunction page.
Kwynn holds a Master of Public Health and is currently pursuing a PhD in Social Work. Her research examines the intersections of health, technology, and gender-based violence.