Sexual health community outreach, our outreach workers are out and about across Lancashire, offering safer sex advice and information, access to safer sex resources and engaging with the public. They can also provide HIV Home Testing Kits
Meeting other people for hook-ups can increase your risk of picking
up or passing on COVID-19
Casual physical hook-ups are discouraged during these times as you are putting yourself, your partners, & others in the community at a potentially huge risk of picking up or passing on COVID-19.
Right now, it is not clear exactly what sex acts might pass on COVID-19. There is some evidence that COVID-19 might be transmitted through faeces (poo). Avoiding rimming, or any other sex that could lead to traces of poo getting into the mouth, will reduce your risk. Washing your hands thoroughly after taking off a condom, or after anal sex, will also help reduce your risk.
If you decide to continue to have hook-ups, you can reduce the COVID-19 risk by:
- Avoiding sex that involves the exchange of saliva, such as kissing, snogging or spit play.
- Washing your hands and face in soapy water before & after sex.
- Showering before & after sex (sharing towels with your hook-up is not a good idea).
- Reducing the number of hook-ups you have.
- Reducing the numbers of people involved in each hook-up.
- Having sex that reduces the amount of body contact –mutual masturbation, spanking, using condoms.
- Avoiding encounters that involve face to face contact.
- Having an encounter that does not involve touching & involves staying a distance away, such as watching each other jack off, or dressing up.
- Not sharing sex toys.
- Heavy breathing & panting during sex can further spread the virus, wearing a face covering/mask can help prevent this.
There is another reason hook-ups are being discouraged, many sexual health services are unable to offer usual health services. Routine STI and HIV testing is being reduced. However, if you think you have been at risk of an STI and/or HIV see below for what you need to do.
Blackpool and Lancashire Sexual Health Services are offering telephone consultations on 0300 1234 154 or full STI Postal testing kits from https://lancashiresexualhealth.nhs.uk/fulltestme
For Blackburn Sexual Health Services call 01254 617100
For a free postal HIV & Syphilis Test, Visit www.Freetesting.HIV
To sign up to the Free Postal Condom Service
go to www.ren-uk.com/postal-condom-service/
