“This is an epidemic that can be stopped if countries, communities and individuals raise awareness, take the risks seriously and take the necessary measures to stop infection and protect vulnerable groups. The best way to do this is to reduce the risk of transmission to yourself and making safe choices for others.
“For men who have sex with men, this includes reducing the number of sexual partners you currently have, reconsidering sex with new partners and sharing contact information with all new partners for follow-up if necessary,” Tedros said in a briefing.
While Tedros said all countries should focus on engaging and empowering communities of men who have sex with men, he warned nations to protect human rights to reduce the risk of infection and transmission.
“Stigma and discrimination can be just as dangerous as any virus,” she said.
Monkeypox is not considered a sexually transmitted disease, but most people who contract it in the United States report having some level of sexual activity, Dr. Demeter Daskalakis, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s monkeypox control official, told CNN this month. This can include penetrative encounters as well as oral sex.
The virus is primarily spread through physical skin-to-skin contact, but it can also be spread by touching objects such as sheets or towels used by someone with monkeypox, and through face-to-face contact such as kissing.
Tedros’ comments about reducing sex partners are the strongest on the issue. Other WTO relations are not so sharply characterized.
US health officials have also recommended cutting down on sex partners, but using milder language.
“Avoid skin-to-skin contact, including intimate contact, with people who have a monkeypox-like rash. Other harm-reduction measures include reducing sexual activity with multiple or anonymous sexual partners,” CDC Director Dr. This was reported by Rochelle Valensky in mid-July.
Daskalakis advised last week: “Thinking about reducing the number of partners you have and trying to avoid anonymous communications, in line with our harm reduction guidance, is smart from a risk reduction perspective.”
The CDC also says people may want to minimize skin-to-skin contact as much as possible by covering the rash with clothing and having sex. If they decide to have sex with someone who has or may be exposed to monkeypox, they should talk about the virus beforehand.
Another thing people can do to protect themselves is to avoid close contact, such as kissing, with people who are clearly infected.
Scientists are still investigating how monkeypox spreads in this outbreak, but they say people don’t get sick after, say, walking past someone or hugging them and cleaning their skin.
“If it’s a hug that doesn’t necessarily involve a shirt, then there’s a risk of transmission, but that’s not what we’re hearing about in our cases, so it’s a low risk. I wouldn’t say zero risk,” Daskalakis said.
On the contrary, it is now the long connection that seems to be responsible for most of the cases. “If you ask me how long is ‘long,’ I can’t answer that question, but it doesn’t seem like it’s being brushed off lightly,” Daskalaskis said. “Actually, in theory, skin-to-skin contact of any kind can transmit monkeypox, but what we’re seeing is that you have to work with it a little bit.”
CNN’s Jen Christensen contributed to this report.
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