We asked people why they’re still seeing their boyfriends and girlfriends in lockdown

“My sex life has been fuller than ever, I’m not ready for it to drop to zero overnight”, is what Becky* told me when I asked why she’s still having dates over to her house during lockdown. People are still flouting the rules to see their boyfriends and girlfriends, despite the government’s advice to social distance, stay home and not go between different houses.

For those who are following the rules, and the doctors and nurses who can’t see their loved ones – hearing people aren’t taking the advice seriously and potentially elongating this crisis is frustrating.

We spoke to some of the people that are living between their homes and their partner’s house and asked them why they’re still doing this. For some of them, it was for their mental health – being stuck at home alone or living in the same location day in day out started to become increasingly damaging. For others, they admitted they know it’s bad but they’re not willing to give up seeing their partners for months.

This is what the people we asked had to say:

It’s a two-minute drive between the houses, we don’t stop or come into contact with people – literally safer than going to the shops

A student who has been going between her’s and her boyfriend’s house and vice versa said they live so close and don’t come in contact with anyone between the drive so “the risk is incredibly slim”.

She added: “We only have one housemate each, both are healthy, neither of which are going to other people’s houses. We checked with them to make sure they were comfortable with the situation, and they are!”

My sex life has been fuller than ever, I’m not ready for it to drop to zero overnight

Another student who’s currently living with just her flatmate at uni admitted she invites multiple Tinder dates over because she’s not willing to let go of her sex life. She said that she lives with one other flatmate and “it gets really lonely”.

She added: “I know it’s not advised which is why I’m not super open about it but I just crave human contact I guess. Plus, since I started second term at uni in January, my sex life has been fuller than ever and I’m not ready for that to drop to zero overnight, I guess”.

It’s hard because we don’t know when this will end

One boy we spoke to said he’s living between his house and his girlfriend’s house because they “don’t know when this will end, it could go on for months”. He added: “if it was only a month, I think we’d stay apart but we just don’t know”.

He also said that both their families are quarantining and are not leaving the house – it’s only him when he goes in between.

We don’t want to go so long without seeing each other

One boy simply argued that him and his girlfriend don’t want to go that long without seeing each other.

We thought it’d all be more enjoyable spending lockdown together rather than apart

A student told us he’s been living between his and his girlfriend’s house. He said: “I was at hers on the night lockdown was announced so we decided it’d be more enjoyable spending it together rather than being apart for weeks.”

He added that he’s been “there most nights” but goes back because he wants to see his flatmates.

He goes between mine and his because he doesn’t want me living alone

A student who’s living alone in her house with her dog because her mum is abroad told us her boyfriend goes between the houses to make sure she’s not alone for too long.

She told me: “I’ve got uni work to do, so he stayed at mine for two weeks but then his family got a puppy so he went back home for a couple of days. He’s going to come back to mine soon but his new puppy means he’s probably going to be back and forth.”

I asked her if his parents mind that he’s going between his house and his girlfriend’s, potentially bringing home infection. She said: “His dad got some masks that he has to wear when he’s in the house and his dad’s very picky about him showering and handwashing when he comes home. Also, his parents are still going out to work because they’re essential workers so technically he’s the most at risk out of all of them”.

Government guidelines for social distancing are:

Stay at home

Only go outside for food, health reasons or work (but only if you cannot work from home)

If you go out, stay 2 metres (6ft) away from other people at all times

Wash your hands as soon as you get home

Do not meet others, even friends or family.

You can spread the virus even if you don’t have symptoms.

*Name changed

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• ‘It’s much stricter here’: This is how lockdown in Spain and Italy compares to the UK

• Fake tan, meal deals, iced coffee: We asked people what they miss about normal life

• If you’re still buying clothes online during lockdown you need to sort yourself out