Edi Uni Prof says that it’s ‘unrealistic’ for students restricted by lockdown to not have sex

Professor Linda Bauld, a public health expert from the University of Edinburgh says that students in a long-term relationship should be allowed to have sex, despite the current lockdown restrictions.

Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland, Linda Bauld said the current coronavirus advice is “unrealistic” and that “from a public health perspective […] I think it is unrealistic for young people to not have any physical or intimate contact, particularly with a long-term partner.”

“We cannot avoid young people seeing their boyfriends and girlfriends as we go forward, we cannot deny that [but] there is dating and there is ‘dating’.”, said Linda. Following a survey the Edinburgh Tab took among students, it does appear that already one in ten Edi students are breaking lockdown rules to have sex.

This comes in spite of the fact that the new phase of lockdown restrictions for Scotland announced yesterday, states that people from separate households should still stay two metres apart. Jason Leitch, the Scottish government’s national clinical director, says that young people should abide by the strict social distancing rules, even when meeting up with members of different households.

However, Professor Leitch said social distancing was “a mammoth undertaking” for young people, and added that “we can’t all be holed up in our cave for the next six months, it is simply not realistic, including for young adults”. She would urge that young people be honest with those they have come into intimate contact with and inform them should they develop symptoms of the coronavirus.

Cover photo: Neil Stewart

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