Sept 6th, 2020: Sexual Health Predicament?
Well, the top doctor in Canada, Dr. Theresa Tam, decided to comment on how people can have safe sex during Covid-19. The reaction toward her comments were both cynical and humorous. Sex certainly has many connotations in cultures. Her assessment was made on Sept 2nd, just a few days before universities across the country start their school year. It is rather interesting timing.
Here is the exact quote from Dr. Tam: "Sexual health is an important part of our overall health. However, sex can be complicated in the time of COVID-19, especially for those without an intimate partner in their household or whose sexual partner is at higher risk for COVID-19.”
Here are some of my thoughts as I read her statement.
The notion of sexual health. What is it? Is it like having a steak dinner once in a while to satisfy our desire for red meat? Is it about meeting our sexual urge and need regardless of our personal situation?
Maybe her statement assumes that we agree with what sexual health should be. I am not sure. Some parents would tell their teenage kids that it is ok to explore their bodies. Some other parents would not even know how to talk to their kids about sex. While sexual liberation is advocated, the addiction to pornography also increases.
Some people told me that having sex with a non-committed partner is healthy for them because they feel as if they are still desirable. These folks also discover that desire would not be able to sustain itself without an emotional commitment. What is left? Emotional emptiness.
Some other people have told me that it is healthy to have sex so that we can get to know people better. The question for all of us is what we would like to discover during such a time. Some people will never commit after having their desire met. Some just run away. Many healthy married people have told me that knowing their significant other is a lifetime exercise.
Sex without a commitment is complicated, not because of Covid-19 alone. Covid-19 might make it harder to entertain our human desire for "sexual freedom". Many of our struggles have been the outcomes of this perceived freedom. Dr. Tam was right with her timing while commenting on the complications just before the start of the school year. One of the university counselors told me a few years ago that abortion is not an uncommon conversation during the first few months of the school year.
Many people already wear "masks" while pursuing sex as a way of attaining personal pleasure alone. When it comes to "sexual freedom", life is like one big 18th-century masquerade where faces were hidden and human bodies were emphasized. It was not about health. It was an erotic encounter. It was about power as well. Masks were considered as aphrodisiacs at the time. Maybe some people might find an N-95 exciting nowadays. Who knows?
"And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed."
~ Genesis 2:25
Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of your youth, a lovely deer, a graceful doe. Let her breasts fill you at all times with delight; be intoxicated always in her love.
~ Proverbs 5:18-19
