Why is gay men getting monkeypox

While anyone can get monkeypox, the current outbreak is overwhelmingly affecting sexually active gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men. According to emerging viruses specialist Yannick Simonin, anyone who has close physical contact with another person who has contracted monkeypox is at risk, regardless of their sexual orientation. And why are the overwhelming majority of those affected men who have sex with men (MSM)?

A long history of work on sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and early studies of the current outbreak suggest the answers may be linked: The virus may have made its way into highly interconnected sexual networks within the MSM community, where it can. Monkeypox (mpox) has disproportionately affected gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM); the percentage of MSM with immunity due to vaccination or infection varies among jurisdictions.

Does monkeypox spread faster among gay and bisexual men? The short answer is no. Anyone can be infected by monkeypox. The virus is not a sexually transmitted infection. It's mostly caught. How to tell if it is monkeypox. There were five major takeaways:. Having HIV was not associated with any differences in monkeypox health outcomes. Since early May, more than 23, cases of monkeypox have been reported worldwide.

Dr Prochazka says when a new threat enters a network of people "we do our best to suppress it. But public health messages are most effective when targeted at people who are most at risk of a particular condition. There are already reports of infections in both women and children. While anyone can get monkeypox, the current outbreak is overwhelmingly affecting sexually active gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men.

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.

Monkeypox symptoms

Atypical to what has generally been seen in monkeypox cases in the 11 African nations where the virus has become endemic since it was first discovered in humans in , people contracting monkeypox during this outbreak often have their initial development of lesions in the anorectal or genital area.

This may be due to changes in the fundamental transmission dynamic of MPXV or due to enhanced cleaning procedures implemented in response to COVID in places such as gyms and restrooms. Alex Sparrowhawk, from the trust's health improvement team, says they're worried people might mistakenly regard monkeypox as a so-called gay disease and says everyone needs to be aware of the signs and symptoms.

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. What is monkeypox and how do you catch it?

If you don't have any symptoms and you're due to attend a regular sexual-health check-up, you're urged to go ahead as planned. Getty Images. The outbreak, which epidemiologists believe initially began in mid-spring gatherings of gay and bisexual men in Europe, has since alarmed such experts by ballooning to nearly 16, cases worldwide.

Monkeypox and gay men: Separating stigma from health advice

In fact, for one year of marginal life gained, there was a 15 per cent increase in the odds that participants chose that program. We are concerned about monkeypox in general, as a public threat. 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.

Dr Prochazka says another possibility is that the proactive engagement of gay men with sexual-health services may have led to more cases being diagnosed. 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. This includes its finding that of the nearly three-quarters of men who provided a sexual history, the median number of sexual partners they reported during the previous three months was five, with one quarter of the men reporting 15 or more.

Does monkeypox spread faster among gay and bisexual men? More research is needed, they say. In the United States, confirmed cases of monkeypox have increased dramatically in recent weeks, to 2, as of Thursday. Typically this means skin-to-skin contact, especially contact with the rashes and skin lesions caused by the disease. Some people also experience very painful sores in the mouth or inside the bottom.

The most important thing now is ensuring all countries have equal access to vaccines and treatment to protect against the further spread of infections. In fact, people were least likely to prefer interventions tailored for sexual and gender minorities.