Just because a pandemic is on doesn’t mean people will stop having sex. Sex is, after all, a basic, if not the most basic, human activity. But, how to do it safely?

The Oregon Health Authority tweeted out some guidance Wednesday for people wondering how to have sex in the time of COVID-19, with a useful graphic to illustrate the advice.

So, how do authorities suggest you change your sexual behavior?

Well, the number one bit tip is: “You are your safest sex partner,” which, let’s be honest, is always true.

You can’t get yourself pregnant, you can’t give yourself an STD and you can’t stop communicating with yourself and completely disappear for two months only to like your own Instagram post from seven years ago and then send yourself a text at 2 a.m. that says, “U up?”

You also can’t infect yourself with COVID-19.

Another piece of advice from the authorities: Practice “selective kissing.”

This will hopefully not come as a shock but kissing, like coughing, breathing, singing and talking can pass COVID-19.

That means, according to officials, it’s time to stop kissing anyone who “is not part of your small circle of close contacts.”

Hopefully at this point you are also not seeing those people in person, so this shouldn’t be too much of an added hardship.

Another thing the agency suggests that may not have occurred to you? “Press pause” on rimming, which means mouth on anus. Apparently, and again, this makes sense if you understand how viruses work, COVID-19 in feces could spread this way.

And of course, wash your hands. That’s not just safe sex advice, that’s life advice and hopefully something we all continue to do for the rest of our long, sex-filled lives after the pandemic is over.

Oregon Health Authority's safe sex guidelines

-- Lizzy Acker

503-221-8052, lacker@oregonian.com, @lizzzyacker

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