Stigma against gay men could worsen Congo’s biggest mpox outbreak, scientists warn

Mpox, also known as monkeypox, was first reported by the World Health Organization (WHO) as spreading via sex in Congo in November. That is a significant departure from previous flare-ups, where the virus mainly sickened people in contact with diseased animals. Mpox has been in parts of central and west Africa for decades, but it was not until 2022 that it was documented to spread via sex; most of the roughly 91,000 people infected in approximately 100 countries that year were gay or bisexual men. In Africa, unwillingness to report symptoms could drive the outbreak underground, said Dimie Ogoi…

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