As some of you would have noticed if you subscribe to our website and/or follow us on social media, we recently began advertising the recommencement of parties at The Rabbit Hole. This has generated much excitement - Newbie Night scheduled for the end of June booked out in less than 36 hours! As we all learn to wash our hands obsessively and try to remember not to touch our faces, how do we swing in this new world?
The safest sex of all (from an infectious disease perspective) is zero physical contact with other humans. Abstinence. Masturbation. Phone sex. Cybersex.
This is old news .. Covid doesn’t change anything. When we all decided pre-Covid to embrace the open lifestyle, we accepted that we are at *higher risk than the long-term monogamous at contracting an STI (sexually transmitted infection), and navigated our lifestyle determining for ourselves the level of risk we were willing to take.
This is no different. That’s why the correct term is now ‘Safer Sex’, and not ‘Safe Sex’.
*Bear in mind, studies have shown that the monogamous do not have a lower prevalence of STI than the non-mono community (including sex workers)- due to their practices of serial monogamy and cheating.
So let’s update the guidebook to safer sex incorporating the newest player in the game. Covid-19 was not the first, and will not be the last to come onto the playing field.
Covid is mostly transmitted via droplets, and potentially semen and faeces. So it follows the most risky sexual behaviour is actually kissing.
There is no such thing as 1.5m social distancing at a swingers party (except potentially at our Newbies Night), so the first decision you have to make is whether to attend or not.
If you decide to attend, here are some dot point guidelines.
Do not attend if:
You are at all unwell, even if only mildly.
If you have travelled from interstate in the last 14 days or in close contact with anyone who has.
If you have had contact with someone diagnosed with or even suspected of having Coronavirus in the last 14 days.
We strongly encourage you to download the government COVIDSafe app.
We will adhere to SA Government recommended indoor gathering numbers.
Preferably, please bring individual drinks that you can discard straight into the bins as you go.
We will have hand sanitisers and antibacterial wipes in every room.
Kissing is high risk activity. Start incorporating kissing in your regular discussions about boundaries with each other.
Obviously, all other recommended Safer Sex guidelines still apply, namely that universal condom use is expected in a casual sex environment with casual partners. Please refer to ShineSA website for comprehensive information on specific STIs.
As the world throws its combined intellectual and scientific efforts into understanding Covid-19 and developing treatments, so must the rest of us in the meantime make informed choices not only about how to survive, but how to live and love in this environment. We are lucky the Australian government currently seems to be making decisions prioritising public health safety rather than economics, so as a party organiser we have decided to follow their advice at this stage.
In South Australia, the next stage of lifting restrictions that begin on June 8th allows for non-therapeutic massage, and an indoor gathering limit of 20 people. We feel our community fits into this category, so we will follow advice for this group.
We will still monitor the situation nationally and internationally as it evolves of course, and we can assure you we will always put the safety of humans above economics. If we feel at anytime government advice does not align with our values, we will have no hesitation cancelling parties without notice.
And ultimately, we all do this anyway: if the modus operandi of an organisation is not in line with our values, if we have a choice we simply do not support them.
In other words, please do not attend The Rabbit Hole until you feel safe enough to do so. We have no intention of going away anytime soon, and will be here when you are ready.
Remember, TRH philosophy is about having fun in a safe space. You can’t have fun if you don’t feel safe!
Virtual hugs to you all ....
The Rabbit Hole xxx
20th May 2020
Comments