How Has the Coronavirus Affected the BDSM Community?

COVID-19 has affected every aspect of life, including the kink community. Since the virus can be spread by respiratory droplets, even being indoors without a mask and around people not in your household can risk infection. As you undoubtedly know by now, the virus can be fatal, but even people who recover experience serious side effects like heart and lung damage. Here’s an overview of BDSM during the coronavirus pandemic, and what you can do to enjoy it without unnecessary risk.

COVID-19 and BDSM play

As we approach winter, many states are encouraging people to stay home instead of travel, and to observe stricter lockdown procedures in order to slow the spread of the virus. This isn’t just to keep people from getting sick—it’s also to ensure that intensive care units aren’t overloaded during the winter months.

Because the BDSM community is seen as taboo in most of society, it relies on community get-togethers (whether they incorporate sexual activity or not) to foster connections and help people meet like-minded friends. Most people don’t feel comfortable revealing their kinks to others unless they know it will be positively (or even neutrally) received. COVID-19’s social limitations have made this much more difficult than it would be in normal times.

Many cities and states have issued sexual guidelines during the coronavirus pandemic, such as limiting your partners outside of the household, wearing masks and incorporating COVID-19 tests into sexual activity and planning, on top of regular health and STI screenings. Of course, the usual guidance about using protection and discussing consent and boundaries still applies, too.

For those who practice non-monogamy, this can seriously limit your sexual activity, but it is necessary to protect the health of all persons involved.

How to incorporate BDSM during coronavirus

You can still have a healthy relationship with BDSM during the coronavirus pandemic. It will just look a lot different than what you’re used to. For example:

• Limit to your household: Obviously, the best way to limit your risk during the pandemic is to limit your sexual and social activity outside those in your household. That will not be practical for everyone, but it is the least risky.
• Go virtual: If you want to have fun without exposing yourself to the virus, take your kink community gatherings virtual. You can still engage in BDSM activities—especially those involving control and submission—without meeting up with others.
• Keep in-person gatherings limited: If you need to meet up with other people, keep those in-person gatherings very limited and get contact information in case someone finds out they’ve been exposed.
• Incorporate testing: Require COVID-19 tests and temperature checks to ensure health.
• Use masks: Plenty of BDSM practitioners use masks anyway—require medical masks when having contact in person.
• Sterilize everything: Finally, make sure you sterilize everything, from toys to equipment. Wash your hands frequently and be sure to communicate with your partners about risks and mitigation practices.

For a safe and healthy private environment for BDSM play during COVID-19, visit the Monterey Stay and Play.

Categorised in: Kink Community

This post was written by Writer