Should Mpox Be Called an STI?

In August, mpox was declared anational public health emergency.

But the possibility of sexual transmission does not mean an infection qualifies as an STI.

What Is an STI?

They can be bacterial or viral, and include chlamydia, gonorrhea, herpes and HIV.

STIs can spread through bodily fluidlike semen, blood or vaginal secretionsor via skin-to-skin contact.

Were seeing levels of monkeypox DNA in peoples semen, in their rectum.

The disease is brought on by a zoonotic virus, which means it can spread from animals to humans.

(Examples include getting scratched by an infected animal or eating meat of an infected animal.)

It can also be spread through shared, contaminated household items like bed sheets or towels.

Or do we consider them infections that can be spreadthrough close contactwhich is often required for sex?

This can be done without stigmatizing sex, or the communities it is currently affecting.

This is where nuance is important.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Monkeypox: 2022-2023 U.S. map & case count.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Safer sex, social gatherings, and monkeypox.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.How Mpox spreads.

Published online August 8, 2022.Lancet.

doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(22)01436-2