- Person-to-person transmission can occur through close contact with infected secretions.
- There is no scientific evidence that the monkeypox virus is sexually transmitted.
- All people are susceptible to contracting monkeypox.
The narrative associating monkeypox, colloquially known as monkey pox, men who have sex with men and gay people fuel stigma and discrimination. It is also one of the reasons that distances people from receiving adequate and timely medical care.
Expansion around the world
Opinions without scientific support, with a stigmatizing and discriminatory vision, prevent or seek to limit public health interventions based on scientific evidence. They also hamper the investigation into the current outbreak of the virus which, according to data published by the World Health Organization (WHO), already affects 29 countries.
Monkeypox is caused by an orthopoxvirus of the smallpox family, which was the first disease eradicated by humans thanks to coordinated public health actions. It is colloquially called the monkey because in 1958 it was detected in these animals. However, it can also be found in rodents.
The first case in humans was detected in 1970, and since then outbreaks have been reported in a dozen African countries. It was not until 2003 that cases were confirmed outside this continent, causing outbreaks of the disease in different years.
The Ministry of Health (SSa) informs that attributing the transmission of this virus only through sexual contact is premature and feeds stereotypes that violate people’s human rights. Similarly, it is essential and very necessary to emphasize that the virus can affect all people regardless of their sexual expression and gender identity.
The main route of transmission of monkeypox is directly from wild animals to humans. According to the WHO, person-to-person transmission can occur through close contact with infected secretions from the respiratory tract or skin lesions of an infected person or through objects contaminated with fluids. So far, there is no scientific evidence that the monkeypox virus is sexually transmitted.
Recommendations to stay protected
If there is discomfort, headache and muscle pain, fever, you should see a doctor. The main care is isolation, strict quarantine, and monitoring of people with whom the patient had contact so that they also isolate themselves.
Those who travel to countries where cases of the monkey pox should take precautions and avoid contact with other people. The measures we learned with COVID-19 are also valid for monkeypox.
In this way, the main ones are wearing face masks, hand washing and healthy distance. The latter helps reduce the risk of acquiring this disease to almost zero. In addition, it is necessary to be attentive to the indications that the authorities may provide in this regard, go to reliable sources of information, such as the World Health Organization (WHO), and avoid being in contact with or acquiring wild or exotic fauna.