Gay men should "for the moment" reduce partners and reconsider sleeping with new people in order to try to halt the global spread of monkeypox, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said last 27 July.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters at a press conference in Geneva that 98 percent of the more than 18,000 recent monkeypox cases reported to the agency had been among men who sleep with other men. He urged members of this community to take steps to protect themselves amid the public health emergency.
"This is an outbreak that can be stopped if countries, communities, and individuals inform themselves, take the risks seriously, and take the steps needed to stop transmission and protect vulnerable groups," Tedros said.
"For men who have sex with men, this includes, for the moment, reducing your number of sexual partners, reconsidering sex with new partners, and exchanging contact details with any new partners to enable follow-up if needed," he advised.
These men might also consider avoiding big circuit parties or shirtless raves for the time being; Rosamund Lewis, technical lead for monkeypox at the WHO Health Emergencies Program, advised these men to reduce "the exposure in places that may put you at risk, such as crowded settings where lots of physical contact may take place among people who may already be at risk."
The new WHO advice goes beyond what has been suggested by the CDC in the US, which has so far only said that men who have sex with men should avoid skin contact with a person who has a rash that might be monkeypox.
The guidance also comes amid outcry from many in the LGBTQ community at a lack of clear messaging from health authorities and at a botched response from the federal government.
Andy Seale, a WHO adviser on sexually transmitted infections, said the advice on reduced sex was "one message in a package of prevention messages that needs to get through to people."