Touch me please—when this enhanced community quarantine is over: sexual intimacies among pre-marital partners during pandemic-induced lockdown

Abstract

The study aims to examine the experiences of pre-marital, non-cohabiting partners while coping with the Covid-19-induced lockdown. With specific focus on sexual intimacies, our interest is to investigate the degree or extent by which the pandemic has constrained people’s sexual interests and expressions with the intention to determine whether or not the overall relationship would be negatively affected by the paucity of sexual encounters. Findings drawn from online interviews involving 28 participants reveal that the pandemic has indeed affected sexual intimacy aspirations among partners, with some participants calling these times as “dry season.” For this very reason, the pandemic has also emerged as a sexual issue. Further results reveal that partners employ technology-based strategies in order to satisfy their sexual desires during these times when restrictions in movement are in place. Trust, love, communication and understanding serve also to assure partners of the integrity of the relationship. The study suggests that the loss of physical sexual encounters during lockdowns is not sufficient to result in negative relationship outcomes.

Keywords:

• Pre-marital couples
• non-cohabiting partners
• sexual relationship
• pandemic
• computer-mediated sexual satisfaction

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Zaldy C. Collado

Zaldy Collado is currently a faculty member of the Department of Sociology, University of Santo Tomas in Manila, Philippines. He is involved in various externally-funded studies tackling youth, health, and social development. His special research interests include the social consequences of conflict to people.

Zaldy D. Dueñas III

Zady Dueñas III is an assistant professor in the School of Arts and Sciences at St. Scholastica’s College Manila. He is also currently a coordinator in the Center for Continuing Education and Development (CCED) in the same institution. He obtained his AB Philosophy degree from the University of Santo Tomas and his MA Philosophy degree from De La Salle University. His research interests include aesthetics, philosophy of art, and social media.

Noella May-I G. Orozco

Noella May-I G. Orozco has a degree in Master of Arts in Philippine Studies - Language, Culture, Media under the Filipino Department, College of Liberal Arts, De La Salle University, Manila, Philippines. Her research interests include urban poor, involuntary displacement, and resettlement. She is currently a research assistant at University Research Coordination Office of DLSU.

Floraime Oliveros Pantaleta

Floraime Oliveros Pantaleta is a faculty of the School of Liberal Arts, Ateneo de Zamboanga University. She is finishing her masters degree in English in the Languages Department of the same university. She writes and translates from four languages: Chavacano, English, Filipino and Sebuano. Her works can be read in tractions, ANOMALY: International Journal for Literature and the Arts, Ubod 2020 anthology and in the Reading the Regions 1 anthology. She was fellow to the Saling Panitik 2019: Ikalawang Bienvenido Lumbera Seminar-Palihan sa Pagsasalin organized by the University of the Philippines Likhaan Institute of Creative Writing. She holds a degree in Literature and Linguistics from the Mindanao State University - Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT). She is Western Mindanao representative to the National Committee on Literary Arts of the NCCA. She hails from Isabela City, Basilan.

Vintchiel R. Rodriguez

Vintchiel Rodriguez completed his Master of Research in Philosophy in Macquarie University, Sydney Australia. His research interests include social cognition, moral cognition, relationship of language and culture, and strategies in adult education. He is currently working as Project Administrator of Macquarie Business School-Student Administration, where he looks after the transition of the school’s curriculum. He is also working as Philosophy Lecturer in Ateneo de Manila University.