Why are gay men more likely to contract monkeypox

Dr Prochazka says it's not clear why there is a higher proportion of cases among gay men. Gay and bisexual people were subject to stigma and homophobia following the Aids crisis in the s and s. How to tell if a rash might be monkeypox.

James Gallagher explains what it is and if we should be worried. Anyone can be infected by monkeypox. And this is where we're seeing most of the cases. Available now on BBC iPlayer. It's mostly caught through close physical skin-to-skin contact, which is why it can be spread to sexual partners.

Why the monkeypox outbreak

The virus is not a sexually transmitted infection. While anyone can get monkeypox, the current outbreak is overwhelmingly affecting sexually active gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men. As monkeypox is often caught through direct contact, once it's introduced to a community, it is more likely to spread through that community among those who are in close contact with each other.

Advertisement That could be a skewed picture, of course. More than 30, monkeypox (mpox) cases have been diagnosed in the United States since Mayprimarily among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM) (1, 2).

Read more Monkeypox: How is it transmitted and what are the symptoms? There is a theory that a return of demand for international travel since Covid lockdowns were eased could have played a part in the initial spread. But the person-to-person transmission that has been happening in countries outside western and Central Africa in recent weeks is new.

“MSM have a better relationship with medical practitioners than heterosexual men,” says Lilith Whittles, an infectious disease modeler at Imperial College London, which could mean they are more likely to report monkeypox symptoms and get tested for the virus.

The question is why MSM are overrepresented among the affected. But with most confirmed cases among men who have sex with men, doctors are encouraging this group to be particularly alert to symptoms. Doctors and charities are keen to ensure this isn't repeated with monkeypox and are concerned it could also prevent others from realising they might have the virus.

Scientists are investigating whether the infection was introduced via a combination of single transmissions or, whether so-called "super-spreader" events, such as a festival, may have resulted in more people catching it at one time.

In recent months, diagnoses have declined to one case per day on average. We are worried about everyone's health. 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.

Doctors and public-health experts have spoken to the BBC about the "delicate balance" of keeping those currently most at risk informed, without stigmatising them or letting others become complacent. Monkeypox patients should avoid pet contact.

We are concerned about monkeypox in general, as a public threat. As monkeypox is often caught through direct contact, once it's introduced to a community, it is more likely to spread through that community among those who are in close contact with each other - for example, within a household or among sexual partners.

What is Monkeypox? The short answer is no. What is monkeypox and how do you catch it? 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.

A large proportion of monkeypox cases diagnosed in the UK are among gay and bisexual men. He says: "It just happens that the infection appears to have been introduced in networks of gay and bisexual men and other men who have sex with men.