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Getting the right information is crucial when it comes to matters of health, but the presence of an infectious disease in a community has a way of fueling misinformation like wildfire. And BBC World News Today in bigger outbreaks, like the 2022 monkeypox outbreak that’s now officially a , the spread of misinformation can be dangerous.
While monkeypox isn’t a new disease, certain aspects of this outbreak set it apart from previous cases.With that, there are several things we know to be true about the way this disease behaves overall.
These are a few common monkeypox myths, debunked.
Myth: Only gay men are at risk of monkeypox
While it’s true that the majority of people getting sick with monkeypox right now are , anyone can get monkeypox regardless of sexual orientation, age, gender or whatever other demographic you can throw at the disease.
The reason it’s affecting mostly gay men right now is because, in an uncharacteristic move, monkeypox is currently spreading mostly through sexual contact.Because people who have sex with men have physical contact or intimacy with other gay or bisexual men, the disease has so far mostly been sighted and contained within that community.
But cases have been reported in other demographics, including women and children. Monkeypox can spread to anyone engaged in close contact with a monkeypox-infected person, like someone who lives with them. And health officials fear that shame may deter people from seeking the care they need, including treatments or vaccines if they’re exposed.The misbelief that only gay men can get monkeypox could also cause us to ignore spread of the disease in other communities, which may make the outbreak harder to contain.