Ok, so one of the interesting sidebars going around during COVID is the suggestion by the NYC Health Dept. (and others following suit...) suggesting "Make it a little kinky. Be creative with sexual positions and physical barriers, like walls, that allow sexual contact while preventing close face to face contact." Yes, dear readers, you read that correctly... They are suggesting the use of glory holes.
As exciting as that sounds at first blush (and believe me, I'm with you on that...), there are some things to think about re: safety as it pertains to the traditional culture of such things that do not really make it as safe as some might be hoping for... (unless you are visiting a wine glory hole?)
By definition, GH's are meant to be anonymous. This creates a number of barriers (besides just the wall...) to reducing health risks. For one, it is less likely for participants to negotiate/communicate about risk factors, and safer sex protocols. (Not impossible, of course, but it might be done in a different way than what you are used to in face to face interactions.)
For one, condoms are not always used in GH's, which not only puts participants at risk for STIs, but still also possible COVID-19 transmission due to exposure to body fluids. While it is still unclear if coronavirus can be transmitted via semen (a study found it in semen samples of males both suffering and recovering from COVID-19), there is also the contact with saliva in an oral exchange. If droplets are transmitted via respiratory droplets, it is likely that it will be present in the saliva of an infected person.
Consider:
how often males use spit to lubricate and stroke themselves
who else might have provided oral before you
how clean a person's hands where before touching themselves to present to the waiting hole...
In my experience, people are generally not really great at hand washing and mindfulness of cross contamination during sex. And if you go to a public place that many others come to for the same reason, not everyone may practice the same safety or cleanliness standards. And if you can't have a conversation with someone to assess their practices, who is to say how well they think about these things? If they have had any recent COVID exposure? How they engage publicly day to day during the pandemic?
Also consider that whoever is at the hole receiving orally, they are also breathing and blowing right into that opening...maybe spitting on someone...which is not what I would consider to be exactly COVID safe to the person presenting from the other side. (Intercourse might be less likely for droplet transfer through the hole though...)
So before anyone runs with the idea that GH's might be a safer option for those seeking a sexual release during the time of COVID-19, make sure you think about the possible risks still present.
These are suggestions from the Mayo Clinic on COVID risk reduction during sexual play:
And if you DO want to explore this option, check out this resource I found all about GH's. From that blog: