Monkeypox Prevention
Protect Yourself and Others
Following the recommended prevention steps and getting vaccinated if you were exposed to monkeypox (MPX) or are at higher risk of being exposed to MPX can help protect you and your community.
The best way to protect yourself from MPX is to avoid sex and other intimate contact with multiple or anonymous partners. If you choose to have sex or other intimate contact, the following can help reduce your risk:
- Reduce your number of partners, especially those you do not know or whose recent sexual history you do not know.
- Ask your partners if they have MPX symptoms or feel sick. If you or your partners are sick, especially if you or they have a new or unexpected rash or sore, do not have sex or close physical contact.
- Avoid sex parties, circuit parties, and other spaces where people are having sex and other intimate contact with multiple people.
- If you choose to have sex or other intimate contact while sick, cover all rashes and sores with clothing or sealed bandages. This may reduce spread from contact with the rash or sores, but other methods of transmission may still be possible.
- Since it may be possible the virus can be transmitted through semen, use latex condoms during sex.
- Do not share towels, clothing, fetish gear, sex toys, or toothbrushes.
- Wash your hands, fetish gear and bedding. Sex toys should be washed after each use or sex act.