Sex and sneezes
Still from 'Friends' (Image source: YouTube)
When you are sick, you may not stop feeling sexy and want to engage in sexual activity nevertheless. However, is it safe for you and your partner? Let’s find out!
If you have mild sniffles, your partner may not be risking much. However, due to physical intimacy, they would still be at risk of catching whatever you have.
How respiratory illnesses pass
Respiratory illnesses like common cold, flu, COVID-19 etc can pass through droplets and saliva. Kissing or breathing close to each others' faces can spread germs from the infected partner to the healthy partner.
Now if the risk is worth taking depends on what you are infected with and what risks it may pose to your partner's health.
If you have the flu
If you have the flu, it is best to skip having sex until you feel better. Influenza is a serious illness and it is best to take rest while you are sick. Close contact will increase the chances of passing the infection along.
Also, if you have the flu, you may already feel weak or low on energy. It is best to not drain yourself and wait until you're healthy.
If you have a fever
If you're running a fever, you're likely contagious and engaging in sex can infect your partner too. Fevers can make you achy and tired, so it is best to not exert.
Further, strenuous exercise like sex can make you sicker, raise your risk of dehydration and can also boost your fever to dangerous levels, according to research. It's best to wait until your temperature is normal.
How long are you contagious
The flu is contagious 24 hours before symptoms start. Then you're contagious for five to seven days. This means that you may infect someone else even after you've started to feel better. Further, if you have a weak immune system, you may be contagious for an even longer period of time.
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Couch policy
Several couples follow the couch policy when one of them falls ill. The idea is that the healthy partner will sleep on the couch till their partner gets better. While unromantic, it helps prevent the other person from getting sick and will help to get your house rid of the flu as fast as possible. So while no one can stop you from having sex when you have the flu, you may want to think twice before you do.
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