The rule of the day may be to maintain a distance of 1.5m from each other, but that hasn’t got in the way of young love, according to Sensoa, the non-profit for sexual health.
“Every form of sex is ill-advised,” spokesperson Boris Cruyssaert told VRT Radio. “There are still people coming to hospital with new cases of sexually transmitted diseases, and that is worrying.”
As we have seen since the days of the Montagues and the Capulets, not even an outright ban can do enough to calm the ardour of those experiencing the rising sap of springtime. Especially when the internet and social media are able to come right into the homes of those sitting longingly in isolation.
“We are seeing dating sites like Tinder and Grindr are paying attention to the coronavirus and calling on users to be careful,” Cruyssaert said.
“And that’s as it should be. One thing is clear: in these times you have to stay apart from each other. Coming together via computer and smartphone is fine, but meeting up in real life is not an option. Luckily we are seeing a lot of people arranging to meet up for a drink when the storm is over.”
Nonetheless, there are still those who come into clinics with freshly-caught sexually transmitted diseases.
“It is logical that sex nowadays is not a good idea,” he said. “Sex is always a matter of closeness, and the chance of infection is always high. And it’s just not the case that there are techniques which are less of a risk than others. Saliva is the principal vector, and sex without saliva is pretty difficult. The chance of becoming infected is simply too great. All forms of sex are ill-advised.”
Alan Hope
The Brussels Times
