Lydia Bowers , a sex educator in Ohio, and her family have remained fairly isolated throughout the coronavirus pandemic . Theyre a blended family, and her daughter goes to her dads house every week. With two households to consider and a few people in their group in the vulnerable population category, theyve had to play it especially safe.

We feel guilty for keeping our kids away from grandparents or relatives, all while watching people going out to restaurants and bars as if nothings wrong, she told HuffPost. We often feel like were overreacting.

Still, she sticks to her guns. When relatives or the kids friends ask to hang out, Bowers actually borrows heavily on lessons she teaches about consent and safe sex in her work: No means no, even when it comes to socially distancing.

Ill say something like, I really do want to see you, and I cant wait until we can. Right now I dont feel its safe, she said. I dont think you owe anyone any further explanation, but its also OK to explain your reasons, whether its health conditions or cases going up.

Bowers is one of many sex educators who say they see parallels between the conversations were having about setting boundaries while social distancing and the kinds of conversations we have about safe sex.

Some of the similarities are clear as day: As with sex, we know that abstinence-focused education doesnt work but that a harm-reduction approach can get you far. That type of approach is also more realistic as far as the coronavirus is concerned, said Aida Manduley , a therapist and sexuality educator.

It doesnt meant you choose to either throw caution to the wind or cloister yourself in a box for five years, they said. It means working to minimize harm and often making very tough choices and sacrifices in order to do so, while keeping in mind our health as well as that of those around us.

As more people expand their COVID social bubbles or form loose quaranteams as a way to limit socializing to two or three households, the concept of consent is also useful, said sex educator and sexologist Jill McDevitt .