Learning about sexual consent can help us navigate tough conversations about social distancing and mask-wearing with family and friends in our 'COVID bubbles.'
Sex educators say there are quite a few parallels between the conversations we’re having about setting boundaries with family and friends while social distancing and the conversations we have about safe sex.
“Just because someone is family, sadly doesn’t mean that they’ll respect us or our decisions, and then we have to be clear about our values and boundaries around this.”Here’s how consent might work with a socially distant get-together: Let’s say it’s been months since you saw your sister because of the quarantine.
As with the safe-sex talk, many of us are struggling to say “no.” We think we need to have a “good enough” reason to “not go all the way,” with say, an invitation to a backyard socially distant picnic. If we want to beat this thing, we have to normalize voicing our concerns. For instance, maybe you’re comfortable going to a picnic if the three people have been tested, but are wary to go if everyone is completely maskless. You should be comfortable telling the host that.
“You might say, ‘That’s so thoughtful of you to invite me to dinner. Unfortunately, I’m feeling particularly cautious and would rather not risk it for both our sakes. But I look forward to hanging out and eating dinner at your place sometime in the future. In fact, I’ll bring the wine!’”While this “safe sex” and consent analogy is helpful, Manduley stressed that talking about coronavirus exposure needs to be far more expansive; unlike sex, your risk doesn’t come from just one person.
“If they’ve said they don’t feel comfortable hanging out or hugging, don’t push it,” she said. “Don’t try to convince them why it’s OK, or send articles on why children aren’t transmitting it as much as they say, or whatever you feel proves it’s safe. They’ve said ‘no’.”
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Oregon And West Virginia Will Shrink Social Gatherings To Combat COVID-19Oregon Gov. Kate Brown announced that indoor social get-togethers of more than 10 people will be prohibited. In West Virginia, Gov. Jim Justice reduced the social gathering limit from 100 to 25.
Read more »
Too little too late: The story of how Florida shattered the country's single-day COVID recordFlorida shattered the nation's record for new daily coronavirus cases this week, logging 15,000 new COVID-19 infections in a single day. The record easily surpassed New York, which on its worst day in April recorded 12,000 new COVID cases.
Read more »
Ocean investment could aid post-Covid-19 economic recoveryA new report by the World Resources Institute shows how investment in sustainable ocean management could support industries impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, such as fisheries and tourism, and provide minimum net returns of $8.2 trillion over 30 years.
Read more »
'Worst-case' UK winter could see 120,000 COVID deaths in second waveBritain faces a potentially more deadly second wave of COVID-19 in the coming winter that could kill up to 120,000 people over nine months in a worst-case scenario, health experts said on Tuesday.
Read more »
Subways sparkle, but does cleaning decrease COVID-19 risk?Robust scrubbing by mass transit workers is producing something commuters rarely see: subway cars that look, feel and even smell clean. Such measures cut the threat of catching the coronavirus, experts say - but maybe not as much as you'd think.
Read more »
Brazil's Bolsonaro says will return to work if new test shows he is COVID-19 freeBrazil President Jair Bolsonaro said on Monday he is feeling 'very good' and will return to work if he tests negative for the new coronavirus on Tuesday, but that he will continue to isolate himself until he is free of the virus.
Read more »