Jakarta –
There is widespread information that monkeypox, which is now endemic, is concentrated in groups of men who have sex with other men or have multiple partners. In response, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends gay and bisexual men to limit the number of sexual partners to prevent the risk of spreading the monkeypox virus.
Monkeypox expert from WHO, Rosamund Lewis, said that men who have sex with men are the group most at risk of being infected with monkeypox today. According to him, about 99 percent of cases occur in men, and at least 95 percent of these patients are men who have sex with men.
WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized that now public health authorities need to involve the community of men who have sex with other men in an effort to suppress the transmission of the monkeypox virus. However, these efforts must be accompanied by protection of human rights and are not discriminatory.
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“For men who have sex with other men, for now reduce the number of sexual partners. Reconsider sex with a new partner, and make contact details with the new partner to facilitate follow-up if needed later,” said Tedros, quoted by CNBC, Thursday ( 28/7/2022).
“Stigma and discrimination can be as dangerous as any virus and can trigger an outbreak. As we have seen with COVID-19 misinformation, and this information can spread quickly online,” he added.
According to WHO data, up to now more than 18,000 cases of monkeypox have been reported from 78 countries. About 10 percent of monkeypox patients underwent treatment in hospital and five patients died.
So, what are the efforts to prevent the transmission of monkeypox in Indonesia? Will there be special surveillance for gay and bisexual groups?
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