[Stillness]

I've mentioned in a couple of recent posts that I have a bad infection right now - a mixed viral/bacterial infection, apparently. I'm pretty much compromised in every way - mental and physical. Depending on how much and how recently I've taken medication, I can go from feeling horrible to being in agonizing pain.

In a rare moment of just feeling horrible, I played around a little with my wife and found out that not every part of me is out of commission - if you know what I'm sayin'. She was looking at me like, "Didn't I just have to drive you to urgent care and play nurse to you?" She basically told me that I'm in quarantine. I don't blame her. I don't want her to get what I have. I'm not feeling real sexy anyway and I'm not extremely keen on trying to perform. But there I was ready to go. The heart wants what the heart wants. And by "heart" I mean "penis."

I think she's just a scaredy cat. I backed down really easy because I'm really not in the mood right now. We were both kind of surprised by my body's reaction. But I have pressed the issue in the past (basically it involves a discussion about "inoculating" her) and I don't think that either of us has ever gotten sick. I actually have a theory that we have never given each other a viral infection. She points to a couple of cases where she suspects she got what I had. I point out that the timing is bad and she was probably infected elsewhere. I think that we have some sort of spousal immunity.

TL;DR: If she was up for taking her nursing duties a little further and I was down myself, can a person catch a cold-type virus from sexual contact? What's your experience?

[chaya]

can a person catch a cold-type virus from sexual contact? What's your experience?

A good question, I don't know the answer. I do know that if you are hugging and kissing you can pass a cold to your partner.

When I was deathly ill and depressed, I had sex with Kiyomi. It relieved the depression so much I was able to sit up and watch a movie with her. In the right circumstances, sex can act as a tonic even if it is not what the doctor ordered.

[Romy]

Stillness, I'm going to go with a yes, I think you could pass on your illness. Of course I am no expert!! It's interesting though, I'm wondering if you only exchanged bodily fluids, meaning semen, no kissing and exchanging of saliva whether that would result in your wife not getting sick.

I'm remember when I was really sick once, so sick I ended up in hospital for a week, I had an orgasm and it was awful, it took every single last ounce of my energy. I regretted it immediately. I was totally drained and not in a good way so be careful and listen to your body.

Wishing you a speedy recovery

[Stillness]

Thanks. I've had it go both ways. Normally sex seems to have a healing affect for me, like chaya mentioned. I've also read that kissing boosts the immune system. That's why I think there's some sort of immunity and why my wife and I haven't been sick together very often.

She looked like she was wanting a little convincing. I'm really not up for it right now, though. I do suspect that just genital contact is safe. It is kind of weird though. Once my wife was coughing and her body would tense up and squeeze me. I felt guilty and perverted.

[calibri~]

Stillness, it depends where the infection(s) are. If you have a chest infection, for example, the bacteria or virus in your lungs will almost certainly not be spurting out of your manhood, however, if you happen to be one of those people that breathe during sex, then you could infect your partner.

[effy2014]

however, if you happen to be one of those people that breathe during sex, then you could infect your partner.

Never thought of holding my breath during sex . . . .

[Claret]

Viral infections are highly contagious, and the virus can be transmitted via secretions expelled through the nose or the mouth or the penis. Of course this all depends upon which type of viral infection you have. Skin to skin contact can transmit viruses so therefore kissing can spread viruses. Viruses require an environment in which they can infiltrate the cells. They take up residence within the cells and as those cells duplicate so does the virus.

Bacteria can be transmitted in much the same way however they require a host upon which to live and they replicate quite nicely on their own.

If I had to choose between sex and getting a viral or bacterial infection or no sex, I'd choose no sex each and every time.

I say this because I've just spent 3 weeks with bronchial pneumonia (viral) and coughing up a lung several times a day.

[Stillness]

Never thought of holding my breath during sex . . . .

I thought that I've read otherwise. Is holding it different from it being held by someone else?

I say this because I've just spent 3 weeks with bronchial pneumonia (viral) and coughing up a lung several times a day.

How many lungs do you have??

I agree about contamination. This thing is upper respiratory, so, like calibri, I doubt that bodies connecting lower would spread it, but it’s not worth the risk. I don’t wish this on anyone, especially the person taking care of me right now. It’s the worst infection I’ve dealt with. I think I had strep as a boy, but I didn’t know what a real sore throat was until now. The other viruses I’ve had only dabbled. This one is an artist.

[Claret]

The lungs are coughed up just a bit at a time and spread over many many many days.

[kira]

When you have respiratory symptoms odds are the illness is all over your skin. It doesn't take kissing. You are leaving it everywhere no matter how much you try to wash and disinfect. Everyone in the house will be exposed. Bacterial infections are a little harder to spread than virus but most definitely can happen with any kind of direct contact. Illnesses with less external symptoms will not spread as well. Like the absolutely horrible stomach virus one bf gave me that I probably could not have gotten without having the close contact of sex. I was vomiting until black stuff was coming up. No respiratory symptoms for that one and no one else got it.

I find with colds and flu that there are only certain people I can get them from. If I am rested and not suffering from anything already I can only get sick from my immediate family and the odd other cases. Most of the time when my husband and I share an illness my body was not in good shape for some reason and then I get mild symptoms for a day or 2 while he completely dies from it. Many times over the 10 years I trained our martial arts school would spread a bad flu and people would fail to show up one by one but I was always fine and there. While I can't catch illnesses easily from very many people it seems anything I do get mutates into some horrible illness that everyone around me ends up suffering from. It's a good thing I get sick less than once a year.