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Experts nationwide are warning that people who are sexually active, particularly those in the LGBTQIA+ community, should be alert to the ongoing risk of mpox. Though we have not seen a surge in cases like we did in the summer of 2022, mpox is still circulating. Fortunately, there are ways you can protect yourself and your sexual partners.
Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is a virus from the same family as the smallpox virus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Those infected with mpox often get a rash, fever, chills, muscle aches, headache, exhaustion and respiratory symptoms like a cough or congestion. People may get some or all of the symptoms, which typically appear within 21 days of exposure to the virus.
“If you think you’ve been exposed to mpox, call our offices at 412-345-7456 to make an appointment,” said Jacque DeRubbo, director of clinical services at Allies for Health + Wellbeing. “We’ll get you in to see a provider as soon as we can. If it’s after hours or on the weekend, your nearest emergency room can get you taken care of.”
Mpox is spread through close, intimate contact with an infected person, including skin-to-skin contact with mpox rash or scabs and exchange of bodily fluids, including saliva and genital or anal excretions. Pregnant people also can pass mpox to their child. Mpox also can be spread through contact with objects used by someone with an mpox infection, including clothing, bedding, towels, fetish gear and sex toys, that have not been disinfected.
However, mpox can be prevented through safe sex practices and with vaccination. The CDC recommends mpox vaccination for gay, bisexual, or other same-gender loving men who have sex with men or are transgender, gender non-binary, or gender-diverse AND in the last 6 months you have had, or expect to have:
- One or more sexually transmitted infections
- More than one sexual partner, or anonymous sexual or intimate contact
- Sex at a commercial sex venue
- Sex in association with a large public event in a geographic area where mpox transmission is occurring.
You also should get vaccinated for mpox if your sexual partner fits the criteria listed by the CDC or if you have had sex or intimate contact with someone who has mpox, regardless of your sexual or gender identity.
As of June 18, the Allegheny County Health Department has recorded 13 mpox infections in the county for all of 2024. If you are traveling outside of the Pittsburgh area and plan to be sexually active while traveling, you may want to check infection rates for the area you are traveling to.
“Vaccines are a great way to protect yourself from mpox, and we offer them at Allies,” DeRubbo said.
The mpox vaccine is delivered in two doses – after your first vaccine, you will need to wait four weeks for your second dose. You will have maximum protection against mpox two weeks after your second dose of the vaccine. While infection with mpox after vaccination is possible, it is very rare, and most people who receive both doses of the vaccine will be protected against the virus.
Christina L. Hutson, chief of the CDC’s Poxvirus and Rabies Branch, recently told the Washington Post that while the mpox vaccine is highly effective, only 1 in 4 people who are eligible are fully vaccinated against the disease.
If you have questions about mpox or your eligibility for vaccines, Allies is happy to help answer your questions, DeRubbo said. “Mpox remains rare, but it’s easy to protect yourself by getting vaccinated,” she said.
Visit AlliesPGH.org or call 412-345-7456 to make an appointment for mpox vaccination or any of our other services.
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