MIAMI — Ella Paradis released a new study today that examines whether Americans will heed recent health guidelines for safer sex during COVID-19, including wearing a mask during intercourse.
The survey was conducted from June 11-16 among a national sample of 1,160 U.S. adults between the ages of 18-55.
According to a rep, “nearly 55% of respondents (54% men, 43% female) do not believe one should wear a mask post-pandemic, and 83% of our respondents say they will not follow this new health guidelines.”
“Only 18% said they would get tested for COVID-19 within 5-7 days after sexual intercourse with a new partner,” the rep added.
Ella Paradis CEO Tino Dietrich explained that “during quarantine we saw a healthy spike in sales, showing us that sexual pleasure is a fundamental part of mental and physical wellbeing. The strain COVID-19 put on many people's romantic lives is not something people will want to experience again. The data lines up with our theory that people are not willing to give up sex, but will step into this area more cautiously.”
Despite the evidence suggesting that wearing a facial mask may help to minimize further spread of COVID-19, relationship therapist and CouplesCandy.com owner Megan Harrison does not believe people will change their romantic lifestyle significantly by wearing masks during sex.
“The mouth is the center of many of the fundamental components of human activity,” said Harrison. “Consumption, speech, the breath, communication, kissing — all of which play an important role within intimate relationships. Masks would drastically alter the experience and I fail to see how people would have the discipline to wear them.”
According to the Ella Paradis survey:
- 57% of respondents would still have sex with a partner even if they couldn't kiss or face their partner during intercourse
- 54% do not believe wearing a mask will help prevent the spread of COVID-19
- Only 5% of respondents will wear masks during sex post-pandemic, while 83% won’t
- 40% will wait longer to have sex with a partner post-pandemic than they did in the past
- People are more concerned about contracting an STI (26%) than contracting COVID-19 (19%) from sexual intercourse
- 38% of respondents believe the pandemic has or will hurt their romantic connections
- Only 24% of those surveyed will change their dating habits, post-pandemic
For more from Ella Paradis, visit their website and follow them on Twitter.
