Can having sex put you at risk of getting Monkeypox? Here's what WHO says

Following the announcement by the UN health agency that there is a developing monkeypox outbreak among men who have sex with men, World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Wednesday encouraged males to temporarily reduce their sexual partners. He stated during a briefing that for males who have sex with men, this currently entails cutting back on the number of partners, contemplating sex with new partners, and exchanging contact information with any new partners to enable follow-up, if necessary.

Ghebreyesus revealed the statistics on COVID concentration in men and claimed that there are 98% of these cases. As a result, WHO advises the nations to take action to lower the risk of transmission to other susceptible groups, such as children, pregnant women, and people with immunodeficient conditions.

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Tedros urged all governments to engage and empower the communities of men who have sex with men in order to lower the danger of infection and transmission, but he also urged them to protect human rights. According to him, stigma and discrimination can be just as harmful as viruses.

Although monkeypox is not a sexually transmitted illness, Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, a US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) official working on the monkeypox response, claims that those who have tested positive in the US have engaged in some amount of sexual activity. According to CNN, this can entail oral sex as well as penetrative experiences.

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The virus primarily spreads skin-to-skin but can also be shared through kissing, close face-to-face contact, and touching clothes or blankets that may have been used by someone who has monkeypox. According to the CDC, experts are examining whether the virus can be transmitted orally, through semen, vaginal fluid, or through faeces. Condoms cannot stop monkeypox from spreading, according to the CDC.

"How can I protect myself?" another said adding, "To catch monkeypox, you need skin-to-skin contact, including during sex, with someone infectious or their contaminated belongings. To reduce the risk of contracting monkeypox: practice safer sex, keep your hands clean."

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"Remember that close physical contact, including sex, may increase your risk of exposure. Having multiple and frequent sexual contacts, including with anonymous partners, may put you more at risk of infection of monkeypox. To protect yourself practice safer sex," a third WHO flyer advises.

According to CNN, US health professionals likewise suggested fewer sex partners but did so in kinder tones. "Avoid skin-to-skin contact, including intimate contact, with people who have a rash that looks like monkeypox. Other harm reduction actions include minimising sexual activity with multiple or anonymous sexual partners," CDC Director Dr Rochelle Walensky said in mid-July.

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(With inputs from ANI)