Canadian Province Suggests Glory Holes for Sex During Pandemic

LOS ANGELES—Back in March, New York City’s pubic health department issued a set of guidelines for how New Yorkers can have sex during the coronavirus pandemic without catching the disease. Though the guidelines advised against such practices as oral-anal contact, when the city updated the recommendations in June, it suggested that the city’s residents “get a little kinky” as they pursued ways to engage in socially distanced sex. Now, north of the border, health officials in Canada’s province of British Columbia have issued guidelines of their own, going a step further even than the New York suggestions, to recommend use of glory holes as a method of COVID-safe sex. While the New York guidelines suggested the use of “barriers” to avoid risky, face-to-face contact during sex, B.C. health officials have specifically recommended “glory holes” to “allow for sexual contact but prevent close face-to-face contact." COVID-19 is not considered a “sexually transmitted” disease because the act of sex itself is not known to cause the virus to pass between partners, at least according to most current evidence. But the virus is known to be transmitted through droplets of saliva and mucous, meaning that activities that are often associated with the sexual act, such as kissing or heavy breathing, could transmit the virus. In fact, the B.C. health officials say that sexual partners should wear facial masks during their activities specifically because “heavy breathing during sex can create more droplets that may transmit COVID-19.” Evidence of the virus has been detected in the feces of infected persons and, in at least one study, their semen as well. As a result, the B.C. health officials also say that condoms, dental dams and other such protective devices should be used during sex as well. But the safest form of sex, as far as avoiding coronavirus infection is concerned, is masturbation, according to the B.C. guidelines. “Masturbating by yourself (solo sex) will not spread COVID-19,” the guidelines say — adding that multiple persons who choose to masturbate together should maintain “physical distancing” from fellow masturbators. Regarding individuals feeling symptoms that they believe may be coronavirus related, the guidelines are clear. “If you’re feeling sick, skip sex,” the B.C. health officials say. Photo By Adi Kavazovic / Pexels