The Dutch government reportedly suggested single people find a 'sex buddy' for lockdown
- Dutch officials suggested singles in the Netherlands find a "sex buddy" or "cuddle buddy" to ride out quarantine with — provided that both partners were free of illness.
- The Netherlands' unique "intelligent lockdown" allows up to three guests to visit households — so long as they keep a 1.5-meter (or, roughly five-foot) distance.
- This poses a unique problem for Dutch singles sticking out the lockdown with no permanent sexual partner, official Dutch guidance acknowledged.
- According to The Guardian's and the BBC's translation, the official guidance recently stated that "it makes sense that as a single [person] you also want to have physical contact" so the sex buddy amendment was made to the "intelligent lockdown" rules.
- As of May 16, the "sex buddy" guidance was no longer listed on the Dutch government's website, though it did urge singles to "minimize the risk of the coronavirus during intimacy and sex and "please observe the rules surrounding the new coronavirus."
- Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.
Singles in the Netherlands were recommended to find a "sex buddy" to ride out quarantine with, The Guardian and the BBC reported.
The Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) reportedly made the suggestion on its official guidance on "coronavirus and sexuality," saying those quarantining without a partner or permanent sex partner could find a like-minded individual to have sex with.
The advice reportedly came after Dutch officials received criticism for advising home visitors to maintain a 1.5 meter — or five-foot — distance from their hosts in an attempt to enforce "intelligent lockdown." The lockdown has been in affect since March 23.
According to The Guardian, the RIVM recently stated that "it makes sense that as a single [person] you also want to have physical contact" so the sex buddy amendment was made to the "intelligent lockdown" rules.
The RIVM states that potential sex buddies should communicate how they want to be intimate and about how many other sex buddies each person is seeing — as more contact with people has a higher potential to spread the virus.
"Discuss how best to do this together," the RIVM suggested, according to The Guardian. "For example, meet with the same person to have physical or sexual contact (for example, a cuddle buddy or 'sex buddy'), provided you are free of illness. Make good arrangements with this person about how many other people you both see. The more people you see, the greater the chance of (spreading) the coronavirus."
As of May 16, the RIVM's suggestion no longer included the terms "cuddle buddy" or "sex buddy," and instead simply advised singles to "minimize the risk of the coronavirus during intimacy and sex."
The guidance added: "Please observe the rules surrounding the new coronavirus."
The guide also made suggestions for couples who have one partner who have been infected or have come into contact with the coronavirus.
"Don't have sex with your partner if they have been isolated because of (suspected) coronavirus infection," the RIVM says. "Sex with yourself or with others at a distance is possible (think of telling erotic stories, masturbating together)."
Read More:
A dominatrix explains how she whips and teases her clients over video during the pandemic
How to avoid becoming codependent with your partner during quarantine, according to a therapist
Read the original article on Insider