Sex in the time of COVID-19: Toronto councillor calling for sexual health clinics to reopen

A city councillor is calling for the reopening of all sexual health clinics, as Toronto prepares to move into Stage 3 of the provincial government's reopening plan.

Coun. Kristyn Wong-Tam, who represents Ward 13, Toronto Centre and sits on the city's board of health, says people are still having sex despite the pandemic, and public health officials should be realistic about that.

Explaining that sexuality is "a very important component of our humanity," Wong-Tam says it's important to make sure members of the public have access to tools like condoms or dental dams to engage in sex safely.

"What we don't want to see during the lockdown is a higher rate of sexually transmitted diseases," she said, adding that clinics also play a significant role in providing support to pregnant women and single moms. 

While the rest of the province moves into Stage 3, Toronto, Peel and Windsor-Essex will remain in Stage 2 for the time being. That means many of the city's sexual health clinics will remain closed until further notice.

Some are providing limited services, like the Crossways Clinic, which offers in-person appointments to those with urgent concerns, Toronto Public Health (TPH) explained in a statement to CBC News.

People are also being assessed over the phone and appointments are provided only to those with "symptoms suggestive of [a sexually transmitted disease], contacts of confirmed STIs and urgent contraception," TPH added.

"We will continue to update our website to keep the public informed on our clinics as new information becomes available and we are able to reopen our services," the statement said.

COVID-19 and safe sex

But Wong-Tam says people urgently need advice on how to avoid spreading COVID-19 during sex, and opening sexual health clinics can help educate them, particularly young people.

"We need to not just be mindful of the fact that there is a coronavirus ... that can make us sick and potentially kill us," Wong-Tam said. 

Politicians and health officials have been pointing the finger at people who are 39 and younger for failing to physically distance, and blaming young people for a recent surge in COVID-19 cases. On Friday, the government of Ontario reported an additional 195 cases of COVID-19, most of them among people under 40. 

But Wong-Tam thinks calling young people out is the wrong strategy.

"I think that rather than shaming them ... or punishing them, we have to inform them and we have to meet them where they are and talk in the language that they're speaking in," Wong-Tam said. 

Safe sex guidelines

She pointed to new safe sex guidelines recently published by the B.C. Centre for Disease Control as an example of that. 

The centre recommends virtual sex as a risk-free option for those seeking companionship outside their immediate bubble. It suggests those dating or having casual sex should avoid kissing, wear a mask during sex, and choose sexual positions that limit face-to-face contact. 

"Use barriers, like walls (e.g., glory holes), that allow for sexual contact but prevent close face-to-face contact," the guidelines state.

While the virus has been found in semen and feces, it is not yet clear if the novel coronavirus can be sexually transmitted. 

The guidelines also state that masturbation is ultimately the most risk-free choice.

Wong-Tam, who had initially distributed a newsletter and infographic to her constituents on safe sex in April, sent out an updated version on Thursday, integrating the recommendations out of B.C.

"I was really pleasantly surprised to see the B.C. document because they really ... took the conversation that much further," she said. 

"They addressed the questions head on."

TPH also published its own safe sex fact sheet in April. While the document does suggest that sexting, virtual sex and video dating could be safe approaches to sex, it doesn't go as far as the B.C. guidelines in terms of how to lower your chances of getting COVID-19.

TPH maintains that sexual contact with new partners, or anyone not in the same household, is not recommended at this time. 

As for whether or not sexual health clinics will be able to open up any time soon, Wong-Tam says TPH is evaluating how it can do so safely. 

Lawvin Hadisi, a spokesperson for the Toronto Mayor John Tory's office, said in an email the clinics were closed to protect people from the virus. 

"Mayor Tory is confident that Toronto Public Health officials will reopen these clinics as soon as they can safely do so."