WITH the spread of monkeypox growing, medical experts across the world have expressed concerns and now, the chief of the World Health Organisation (WHO) has issued an advisory for men to avert getting infected.
The advisory is: Reduce the number of sexual partners.
WHO director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said 98 per cent of the monkeypox cases detected since the outbreak emerged in May had been among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with male partners. He called for those at risk of contracting to take urgent steps to protect themselves.
“That means making safe choices for yourself and others, for men who have sex with men,” Tedros was quoted as saying by The Guardian. “This includes, for the moment, reducing your number of sexual partners," he added.
According to the WHO chief, infectious people should isolate themselves and avoid gatherings that involve close physical contact. He also said that people should get contact details for any new sexual partner(s) if they needed to follow up.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, however, has not suggested that men who have sexual relations with men bring down their number of sexual partners but only avoid skin-to-skin contact with people who have rash that could be a case of monkeypox.
WHO officials have warned that monkeypox could infect anyone who comes in close contact with a patient or their contaminated clothing or bedsheets. It has also said that the disease could be more severe for children or expecting mothers.
This photograph taken on April 28, 2026 shows a boy getting "thali", a sacred thread tied to his neck symbolising marriage to Hindu warrior god Aravan during the annual Koovagam transgender festival at the Koothandavar temple in Tamil Nadu's Kallakurichi district. For a few fleeting days each year, at the heart of the Koothandavar Temple where ostracised transgender community members from across India come to honour the Hindu deity Aravan, a tradition rooted in millennia-old Hindu texts -- and to enjoy a brief oasis of freedom.Getty Images
This photograph taken on April 29, 2026 shows a member of the transgender community mourning as a priest cuts the "thali", a sacred thread symbolising end of her marriage to Hindu warrior god Aravan during the annual Koovagam transgender festival at the Koothandavar temple in Tamil Nadu's Kallakurichi district. For a few fleeting days each year, at the heart of the Koothandavar Temple where ostracised transgender community members from across India come to honour the Hindu deity Aravan, a tradition rooted in millennia-old Hindu texts -- and to enjoy a brief oasis of freedom. Getty Images