A New Report About Monkeypox Transmission Came Out And The Results…

The data was pulled from a sample of 358 men who contracted monkeypox for which data was available on recent sexual behaviors. That represents about 12% of all confirmed monkeypox cases in the U.S. between May 17 and July 22, the time period which the report covers. Age and gender identity data was available for 41% of all cases nationwide.

Of the 334 cases for which HIV status was known, 41% of patients were HIV-positive. Only 8% of patients were hospitalized, and there were no reported deaths. There remain zero confirmed deaths caused by monkeypox in the United States or Europe in 2022.

The Biden administration declared a public health emergency due to monkeypox last week, after the World Health Organization had already done so in July. Critics have accused the administration of not acting fast enough to respond to the outbreak, particularly as it regards vaccine procurement and distribution.

Data from the CDC, as well as the WHO and European health authorities, have increasingly shown that the virus is almost exclusively spreading within the homosexual male community, with some outlier cases within other demographics. Still, health authorities are engaged in intense debate over how to target messaging on the risks associated with monkeypox due to fears of directing stigma toward gay and bisexual men.

In its latest report, released Friday, the CDC admits “public health efforts should prioritize gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men.” However, the agency still does not recommend that gay and bisexual men have fewer sexual partners in its guidance on safe sex during the monkeypox outbreak. The WHO made that recommendation last month.

The CDC website recommends avoiding intimate, skin-to-skin contact if you or the other person have an illness or rash — even if it’s not confirmed to be monkeypox.

The agency suggests virtual sex and masturbation at a distance of at least six feet as alternatives to in-person intimate contact to prevent the spread of the virus.

Meanwhile, many gay men feel frustrated with the rollout of the monkeypox vaccine, which falls to the federal government, and inadequate access to testing. Even now, with the White House making more than 1.1 million doses available to states and cities, supplies are still very limited.