The Effects of COVID-19 pandemic on the Sexual Behaviour, Sexual Health, and General Health Status of Jamaicans:Has the sexual behaviour of Jamaicans changed, or is it the same as before the COVID-19 pandemic?

Abstract

Aim: The purpose of the study is to investigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the sexual behaviour of Jamaicans aged 18+ years.

Methods and Materials: The data were collected using a convenience sampling method. A standardized questionnaire was developed and forwarded to respondents using various social media platforms. The data was stored and retrieved using the Statistical Packages for the Social Sciences for Windows, Version 27.0. A p-value of < 5% was used to determine the level of significance for this study.

Findings: Almost 66% of the respondents stated they were sexually active, 38.2% stated that they were practicing safe sex, while 12. 1% of the respondents are not; 44.7% of the sampling frequency of condom use remained unchanged during the COVID19 pandemic, while 9.7% of the sample increased condom usage. Of the sampled respondents, 73.4% indicated that COVID-19 did not impact their sexual behaviour. However, a marginal increase in those having coitus once per week was documented (6.8%), a 20.3% increase in those viewing pornography, and a 26.3% increase in those engaged in masturbation. The issue related to COVID-19 and sexual behaviour among Jamaicans is that a large percentage of individuals have opted not to use a mask during sexual activity (62.5%), which is a suggested guideline in preventing the spread of COVID-19.

Conclusion: As such, a significant recommendation is to encourage the use of masks during sexual activity and use creative ways to achieve sexual satisfaction beyond what was obtained before COVID-19.