The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has warned that it is best to avoid sex and romantic intimacy if you are sick with monkeypox – so you don’t infect others – but provided safety tips in case you still want to do the “thing” anyway. The federal health agency said the guidance will prevent infected and sexually active adults from infecting others while having fun.
Having confirmed more than 22,000 cases of monkeypox in 37 countries around the world, the CDC made it clear that monkeypox is not a sexually-transmitted disease. The federal health agency clarified that the disease can be spread during sex, but its spread is not isolated to sex alone. It can spread from one infected person to another through personal and skin-to-skin contact.
According to the CDC, an individual can contract monkeypox by handling the bedding, towel, and clothing of an infected person. The disease can also spread through kissing and by touching the rash, sores, and scabs of an infected individual. The agency said it is best to not share towels, toothbrushes, sex toys, and other fetish stuff with people who may have the disease.
And in a situation where two consenting adults must have sex, they must take the following precautions to reduce the chances of infecting others with monkeypox:
· Masturbate without touching each other in any manner at a distance of at least 6 feet.
· Reduce skin-to-skin contact during sex by covering the entire body where there is an outbreak of sores or rash.
· Do away with kissing before and after the act.
· Wash all personal items, including clothes and bedding, after sexual intimacy.
· Reduce sex partners to prevent possibly the spread of the disease to others.
In a situation where an individual develops a rash or sores after a sexual experience with a partner, the person should visit health officials for medical attention. People are also advised to avoid large gatherings of people and to inform close associates with whom there have been personal contacts in the last 21 days if one is diagnosed with monkeypox.