Covid, Sex and Intimacy

It has been a very long 18 months and a lot has changed. Social distancing, working from home, not being able to travel have had deep and sometimes longterm effects on relationships and sex lives.

The young have been unable to get to together, their lives disproportionally affected by a disease that held only a small risk for them. Couples have slipped into the old saying that ‘familiarity breeds contempt’, the initial thrill of having time together and ability to explore new things sexual or otherwise has worn off. Any fault lines in a relationship have been tested and exposed as people spend more time with each other. Those with partners who do not live with them have sometimes not been able to see each other for months, this applies to less conventional relationships such as those who are are polyamorous. Intimacy and physical contact are essential for our physical and emotional well being and for a lot this has been sadly missing.

Reports over time as the pandemic related stressors have gone on have shown decreased sexual desires for partners, increased loneliness and general stress. Now as we start to return to some of the pre-covid ‘norms’ there are lots of questions to be answered. Is kissing, that most sensual and intimate of acts safe, have people been left with a sense of fear that they will catch or pass covid on? Personally I hope not, this doesn’t negate taking responsibility for your health or others I just think living in fear is detrimental to a healthy life, intimacy and relationships.

How will you move forward? Many will have come to the conclusion that what was ‘normal’ was not for them, that there is something more to life and their relationships and that physical and emotional intimacy in all its forms is more important than they realised. Covid has exposed so much, now maybe is the time to make significant changes to our lives before we slip back into the old habits that did not serve us well.