Can we get covid-19 during sex?

9 Jul 2020

Chinese researchers have found traces of the virus in the semen of infected or remission patients. More studies will be needed to determine if the virus is sexually transmitted.

Studies to date show that Sars-Cov-2 is primarily transmitted by droplet projections. Scientists have found traces of the virus in saliva, feces, and urine. In China, a research team discovered it in sperm. They publish the findings of their work in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Covid-19 detected in semen

The study was carried out with semen samples from 38 men who passed through the Shangqiu hospital in Henan province, in the northeast of the country. All tested positive for Covid-19: some were still infected and the rest were in remission. Six of them were positive for coronavirus. Of these men, two were in remission, while the other four were still suffering from the disease.

Limits to these conclusions

The researchers said that the results of their study were limited for two reasons: the small sample size and the lack of patient monitoring. The results do not indicate whether the virus was transmitted during sexual intercourse or how long it remained in the semen. The research team suggests continuing research on this topic to determine if Covid-19 is sexually transmitted.

These results contrast with those of another study also carried out in China. The sperm of 34 men with a positive result had been analyzed, the researchers had found no trace of the virus in their sperm. The tests were carried out between eight days and one month after the diagnosis of the disease.

Caution is required

If the transmission of the virus through sexual fluids remains undetermined today, having sex increases the risk of infection since Covid-19 is present in saliva. A simple kiss can contaminate it. If your partner is infected, it is better to abstain.

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