You cannot hug, kiss, or even shake hands these days without risking COVID-19, the infection caused by the new coronavirus. However, a new study has found that sexual intercourse could be safe.
Researchers analyzed semen samples from more than 30 men in China, who were diagnosed with mild to moderate cases of COVID-19.
The study, published online in the journal Fertility and Sterility, found that lab tests did not detect the virus in any of the semen samples. Also, there was no evidence of the coronavirus in the participants’ testes.
The researchers said while the study suggests that the risk of sexual transmission of COVID-19 is remote, it was not comprehensive enough to rule out the possibility.
Study co-author Dr. James Hotaling of the University of Utah Health said, “The fact that in this small, preliminary study that it appears the virus that causes COVID-19 doesn’t show up in the testes or semen could be an important finding.”
“If a disease like COVID-19 were sexually transmittable, that would have major implications for disease prevention and could have serious consequences for a man’s long-term reproductive health,” he added.
There were a few limitations to the study. First, the study was conducted on a very small number of patients. Second, the study included patients who were not severely ill with COVID-19, according to the authors.
“It could be that a man who is critically ill with COVID-19 might have a higher viral load, which could lead to a greater likelihood of infecting the semen.” Dr. Hotaling said. “We just don’t have the answer to that right now.”
“But knowing that we didn’t find that kind of activity among the patients in this study who were recovering from mild to moderate forms of the disease is reassuring,” he added.
Despite the finding that coronavirus cannot be transmitted through sexual intercourse, Dr. Hotaling cautioned that any kind of intimate contact could still increase the risk of spreading the virus, including kissing. The author also cautioned that some infected people are asymptomatic and appear healthy, but can still transmit the injection to others.
