Why is monkeypox mostly in gay men
‘I felt like I was dirty’: experiences of homosexual men diagnosed with mpox in England
“After I left the clinic, I got very emotional. Not because I had monkeypox…But I felt let down by the way the discourse, and the way that the infection, the virus or whatever it is, was being portrayed as well. It took me to a place where I just didn’t expect to feel in terms of my life, as a gay gentleman, with lots of privilege in lots of ways. Usually I felt appreciate I had dignity in the [health] service and the way I am treated by the government and the likes of that. And it just kind of really sped away suddenly.”
A recent study found that men diagnosed with mpox, clinicians and community stakeholders have faith that the government's perceived inaction towards the illness was due to its association with stigmatised sexual minorities. This systemic shortcoming was often compared to the initial response to the AIDS crisis.
Glossary
stigma
Social attitudes that suggest that having a particular illness or being in a particular situation is something to be ashamed of. Stigma can be questioned and challenged.
cisgender (cis)
A person whose gender identity and phrase matches the biologic
Since early May, more than 23,000 cases of monkeypox have been reported worldwide. This is the largest ever global outbreak of the disease.
Cases have now been reported in 78 countries including the UK, Spain, Germany, France, the US and Brazil. Given the scale of the outbreak, the World Health Organization (WHO) has now declared the current monkeypox epidemic a global health emergency.
While anyone can get monkeypox, the current outbreak is overwhelmingly affecting sexually active gay, bisexual person and other men who have sex with men. In fact, our recent study which looked at 528 monkeypox infections since the start of the outbreak found that 98% of these infections had occurred in this collective. Here’s what these men need to know.
How it spreads
Monkeypox is a disease caused by infection with the human monkeypox virus, which comes from the same virus family as smallpox. In fact, symptoms are quite similar to smallpox and include fever, headache, muscle aches, chills, cold symptoms (such as a cough or sore throat).
Symptoms are also accompanied by a rash that appears in blisters on the face, genitals, the chest and advocate , and on the hands and feet. Some people also experience ve
Monkeypox and gay men: Separating stigma from health advice
BBC News
A large proportion of monkeypox cases diagnosed in the UK are among lgbtq+ and bisexual men.
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 develop complacent.
Does monkeypox spread faster among gay and pansexual men?
The brief answer is no. Anyone can be infected by monkeypox.
The virus is not a sexually transmitted infection. It's mostly caught through close physical skin-to-skin contact, which is why it can be spread to sexual partners.
But with most confirmed cases among men who have sex with men, doctors are encouraging this group to be particularly alert to symptoms.
Mateo Prochazka, an epidemiologist from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), said: "The infections are not about sexuality. We are concerned about monkeypox in general, as a public threat. We are worried about everyone's health."
So why are queer men catching it more right no Monkeypox is spreading among gay men worldwide
The World Health Organization (WHO) has now confirmed nearly 100 cases of monkeypox in over a dozen countries, with the largest number in the UK. While most cases so far are among lgbtq+ and bisexual men, health officials emphasise that anyone can contract the virus through close personal contact.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) reported the first case in the current outbreak on 7 May in a man who had recently travelled to Nigeria, where monkeypox is endemic. This was soon followed by two additional cases who share a familiar and four cases among gay and bisexual men, all of whom arrive to have contracted the virus locally. As of 23 May, UKHSA has reported 70 confirmed cases in England and one in Scotland.
The latest WHO update on 21 May listed 92 confirmed and 28 suspected cases. After the UK, the most cases hold been reported in Spain and Portugal, with smaller numbers in several other European countries, Canada, the United States and Australia. An informal tally by Global.health, compiled from various sources, listed more than 300 confirmed or suspected cases worldwide as of 25 May.
Cases so far contain “mainly but not ex
Monkeypox: Why are gay and bisexual men more affected?
Regardless of sexual orientation, the main factor of propagation remains the multiplicity of sexual partners.
Lire en françaisAs of July 26, Monkeypox has not caused any deaths in Europe, but the disease is gaining ground. With nearly 17,000 cases worldwide, World Health Organization (WHO) director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus triggered the extreme level of alert on monkeypox on July 23.
Santé Publique France (SPF), France's public health agency, has recorded 1,567 patients in the country since May. 3% of those possess been hospitalized. This epidemic differs from the waves observed so far in a dozen African countries, notably in the patients' profile: almost exclusively men, most of them males who have sex with males, known as "MSM" in the scientific community.
Read moreMonkeypox: How is it transmitted and what are the symptoms?
The question is why MSM are overrepresented among the affected. First, it is important to keep in mind that the SPF figures are still incomplete. Screening is just starting and complicated by the fact that symptoms are nonspecific. "This virus behaves like a great imitator of herpes or 
Monkeypox is spreading among gay men worldwide
The World Health Organization (WHO) has now confirmed nearly 100 cases of monkeypox in over a dozen countries, with the largest number in the UK. While most cases so far are among lgbtq+ and bisexual men, health officials emphasise that anyone can contract the virus through close personal contact.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) reported the first case in the current outbreak on 7 May in a man who had recently travelled to Nigeria, where monkeypox is endemic. This was soon followed by two additional cases who share a familiar and four cases among gay and bisexual men, all of whom arrive to have contracted the virus locally. As of 23 May, UKHSA has reported 70 confirmed cases in England and one in Scotland.
The latest WHO update on 21 May listed 92 confirmed and 28 suspected cases. After the UK, the most cases hold been reported in Spain and Portugal, with smaller numbers in several other European countries, Canada, the United States and Australia. An informal tally by Global.health, compiled from various sources, listed more than 300 confirmed or suspected cases worldwide as of 25 May.
Cases so far contain “mainly but not ex
Monkeypox: Why are gay and bisexual men more affected?
Regardless of sexual orientation, the main factor of propagation remains the multiplicity of sexual partners.
As of July 26, Monkeypox has not caused any deaths in Europe, but the disease is gaining ground. With nearly 17,000 cases worldwide, World Health Organization (WHO) director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus triggered the extreme level of alert on monkeypox on July 23.
Santé Publique France (SPF), France's public health agency, has recorded 1,567 patients in the country since May. 3% of those possess been hospitalized. This epidemic differs from the waves observed so far in a dozen African countries, notably in the patients' profile: almost exclusively men, most of them males who have sex with males, known as "MSM" in the scientific community.
Read moreMonkeypox: How is it transmitted and what are the symptoms?
The question is why MSM are overrepresented among the affected. First, it is important to keep in mind that the SPF figures are still incomplete. Screening is just starting and complicated by the fact that symptoms are nonspecific. "This virus behaves like a great imitator of herpes or