Kiwis have been warned against breaching health requirements to engage in casual sexual activity.
The alert level 4 lockdown in response to the coronavirus pandemic has effectively barred New Zealanders from having physical contact with anybody outside their household for the next month.
Dr Jason Myers, chief executive of New Zealand AIDS Foundation (NZAF), said people should not leave their homes for casual or anonymous sex, or inviting others back.
Numerous advertisements for in-person adult entertainment can still be found in most newspapers. One classified even offers a service specifically for pensioners, a worrying matter since elderly people are at greater risk of serious illness from Covid-19.
While coronavirus is not a sexually transmitted infection, close contact with a person who is infected with the virus creates a risk of contracting it.
Any sexual contact, including kissing, involves an exchange of bodily fluids and creates an even higher risk of transmission.
"We have tools such as condoms to prevent HIV and other STIs, but Covid-19 is not an STI and requires different prevention measures," Myers said.
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"People living with HIV or other immunity concerns will understandably be worried about their health if they were to contract the virus."
He said although there was no evidence to determine whether people living with HIV were at greater risk of acquiring the new coronavirus or developing more severe disease as a result of that infection, these fears could be alleviated by people changing their sexual practices.
Consensual phone sex, webcam sex, and masturbation could be used as alternatives during the lockdown, Myers said.
NZAF's HIV testing clinics in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch are closed during the lockdown, but HIV self-test kits can be ordered through the post by visiting www.nzaf.org.nz.
