Covid-19 is a novel disease that started with a small cluster of less than a thousand people in the Wuhan province of China is now responsible for over 100,000 confirmed cases and over 2,000 deaths in Nigeria (World Health Organization- May 15, 2021).

The toxic nature of this virus puts every individual at the risk of exposure, and its progress has changed virtually every aspect of life as we know it. The art of procreation was not spared in this global shift as questions arose around the possibilities of contacting the Covid-19 virus via sexual intercourse.

This virus is hazardous as there are carriers of the virus who show no symptoms, and close contact within 6 meters of an infected person can get you infected. This singular factor (i.e., the ability of the virus to spread via respiratory droplet when in close contact with a carrier), particularly makes it difficult to answer the question “can Covid-19 be transmitted during sexual activity? 

This is because the art of procreation requires more than significant close contact and exchange of oral fluids are often involved.

As regards the question, can Covid-19 be transmitted via sexual fluids, e.g., Semen and Vaginal fluid (i.e., can Covid-19 be transmitted via sexual fluid like a sexually transmitted disease STD). The answer is NO; there is currently no scientific evidence indicating that the Covid-19 virus can be transmitted via sexual fluids, they are however, research and evidence that has shown the presence of the virus in semen and vaginal fluid of individuals who have had or are recovering from Covid-19. Research on this aspect of the dynamism of the Covid-19 virus is still ongoing.

The general advice of precaution for sexually active people is that individuals should:

• Stick to one sexual partner.
• Avoid having sexual intercourse with individuals that don’t live with you.
• Avoid sexual contact if your partner is feeling unwell and sick until you are it’s not COVID-19.
• Seek professional health care help if your partner feels unwell and has symptoms consistent with the Covid-19 such as cough, fever, and difficulty breathing.

According to the Mayo Clinic, if you are sexually active with someone outside of your household, you can consider the following precautions to reduce your risk of getting the COVID-19 virus:

• Minimize the number of sexual partners you have.
• Avoid sex partners who have symptoms of COVID-19.
• Avoid kissing.
• Avoid sexual behaviours that have a risk of faecal-oral transmission or that involve semen or urine.
• Use condoms and dental dams during oral and anal sex.
• Wear a mask during sexual activity.
• Wash your hands and shower before and after sexual activity.
• Wash sex toys before and after using them.
• Use soap or alcohol wipes to clean the area where you have sexual activity.