Are you at risk for monkeypox?

How monkeypox spreads continues to confuse people. Many also have questions about whether they can get the vaccine.  Because there are so many questions and much of what you’re reading and hearing on the news has been a lot of confusing, medical jargon, let’s take the issues one by one.

I’ll start with how monkeypox spreads and your risk for contracting the virus.

Monkeypox is spread through vigorous skin-to-skin contact with the rash. The rash contains the virus and rubbing against the rash can spread it to you.

Casual contact is much less likely to result in transmission. Reaching for a drink at the bar and brushing against the arm or hand of someone with monkeypox is very unlikely to spread the virus. Shaking hands with someone also is unlikely to spread the virus. Even so, washing your hands regularly is a good habit to get into.

But if someone does have the rash on their hands, intimate contact could spread the virus. Intimate contact is rubbing or inserting the hand into or around the anus, rectum, penis, vagina, groin or mouth. Also, if someone had the rash on their fingers or toes, sucking on them or inserting fingers into or around the anus or genitals could spread the virus.

Anybody can get monkeypox if they do those high-risk activities with someone who has the rash. 

Ways to reduce your risk include having virtual sex, having sex with your clothes on or covering the rash or masturbating together at a distance of at least six feet, without touching each other or the rash. Condoms may help if the rash is confined to the genitals or anus, but by themselves they won’t prevent monkeypox. Avoid kissing, and wash any sex toys and fabrics after sex. Go to https://bit.ly/3PUvi8E for more on safe sex.

As of now, most of the cases we have seen have come from sexual contact in gay men and men who have sex with men. In Monroe County as of late August, there were seven documented cases, a number that hadn’t changed in about two weeks. 

We can get ahead of it with vaccine. In another post, I’ll talk about the monkeypox vaccine – who is eligible and how it’s given.