Why do gay men get monkeypox

Typically this means skin-to-skin contact, especially contact with the rashes and skin lesions caused by the disease. Given the scale of the outbreak, the World Health Organization WHO has now declared the current monkeypox epidemic a global health emergency.

For most people, the disease usually resolves within two to three weeks. But public health messages are most effective when targeted at people who are most at risk of a particular condition. This means that it can spread in households through any close personal contact with an infected person — not just as a result of sexual intimacy.

This is the largest ever global outbreak of the disease. The WHO has also recommended that at-risk groups limit how many sexual partners they have and take steps to protect themselves from contact. MONKEYPOX WHAT BISEXUAL MEN NEED TO KNOW ABOUT Cases have been detected among gay and bisexual men but not exclusively WHAT MONKEYPOX?

Nobody wants to repeat that. Monkeypox spreads through close physical contact with an infected person. While anyone can get monkeypox, the current outbreak is overwhelmingly affecting sexually active gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men.

Monkeypox What the symptoms

Monkeypox is a disease caused by infection with the human monkeypox virus, which comes from the same virus family as smallpox. It is believed that the virus naturally lives and reproduces in rodents in central and western Africa.

But the fact that the disease still seems to primarily be occurring in one group means that, with the right interventions, the course of the outbreak could still be changed and that group protected. If given between four and 14 days after exposure to monkeypox, the vaccine may potentially reduce symptoms of the disease.

All this may explain why the virus is primarily spreading through networks of men who have sex with men. Monkeypox is a viral infection transmitted through close personal contact, including kissing, sex, and other skin-to-skin contact. In fact, symptoms are quite similar to smallpox and include fever, headache, muscle aches, chills, cold symptoms such as a cough or sore throat.

The virus is a pox virus that was first discovered in monkeys inhence the name. And other factors may have made the outbreak worse. The declaration of a worldwide pandemic by the WHO will hopefully serve to co-ordinate the global response and open up the possibility of mass production of several vaccines with access for all.

Symptoms are also accompanied by a rash that appears in blisters on the face, genitals, the chest and back, and on the hands and feet. There are already reports of infections in both women and children. Many countries are offering vaccinations to sexually active gay and bisexual men who are at greatest risk of contracting the disease.

Although public health agencies such as the WHO, CDC, ECDC and UKHSA have already done a lot to provide clear, non-stigmatising guidance to at-risk groups, it may be important ensure this information is now disseminated in places where they will have the greatest impact — such as on dating apps, for example.

Since early May, more than 23, cases of monkeypox have been reported worldwide. We know that the virus can persist on surfaces for a long time — sometimes up to several weeks. Condom use alone is not enough, which is one of the ways monkeypox is different from STIs.

Monkeypox and gay and bisexual men: Fact sheet What is monkeypox? This is why getting vaccinated and making sure that everyone has equal access to these vaccines is of such great importance. Some people also experience very painful sores in the mouth or inside the bottom.

Monkeypox is a rare disease that is caused by infection with monkeypox virus. Chloe Orkin receives funding from Gilead Sciences, Viiv Healthcare, Astra Zeneca, Merck Sharpe and Dohme and Janssen for advisory boards, lectureships, travel scholarships and I have also received research grants from the same companies to my institution.

Monkeypox may have mutated in ways that allow it to transmit more easily, and the share of the population who have had the smallpox vaccine—which also offers some protection against monkeypox—is declining because smallpox vaccination was abandoned worldwide starting in the s.

The most important thing now is ensuring all countries have equal access to vaccines and treatment to protect against the further spread of infections. The vaccine, which is 85% effective, represents the only way to prevent monkeypox at this time. But it can also be spread through large respiratory droplets such as coughing and sneezing.

While anyone can get monkeypox, the current outbreak is overwhelmingly affecting sexually active gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men.