True or False? Monkeypox
What do you know about monkeypox? Take our quiz to find out.
Nov 17, 2022
Your HealthMonkeypox almost sounds like something out of a science fiction movie — and a few months ago, you’d probably never even heard of it. But this serious disease is definitely not a figment of someone’s imagination.
We reached out to epidemiologist Debra Furr-Holden, Ph.D., the dean of NYU's School of Global Public Health and member of our Women’s Health Advisory Council, to clear up what’s true about monkeypox and what’s not.
1. Monkeypox can only be spread through sexual contact and not casual contact.
Correct
Incorrect
false. Monkeypox is spread by close personal or prolonged contact. That is often sexual contact, but it can be other types of contact as well. People who are cuddling, sharing linens or clothes, dancing at a club, or hanging out at a party can spread the virus. Prolonged exposure to droplets in the air you’re sharing can spread monkeypox as well, so, for example, chatting with someone next to you on the subway can pose a risk. It’s important to note that wearing condoms won’t protect you against monkeypox because lesions can appear on any part of the body, not just your genitals.
2. Pregnant women can spread monkeypox through the placenta.
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Incorrect
true. There is a risk of a mom passing monkeypox to her fetus during pregnancy and during close physical contact after the baby is born.
3. There are vaccines available to reduce the likelihood of getting symptoms.
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Incorrect
true. There are two vaccines approved to help protect against the monkeypox virus. Both can also be used to prevent smallpox, a closely related virus.
4. Although most cases of monkeypox are in men who have sex with men, everyone is potentially at risk.
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Incorrect
true. Everyone is at risk for monkeypox. The reason there has been a lot of monkeypox among men who have sex with men is because the initial outbreak just happened to be in that community, and people tend to hang out with people who are more like them. The risk is the same for a man who has sex with a man as it is for a man who has sex with a woman or a woman who has sex with a woman. If you have monkeypox, any of your sexual partners and close contacts are at high risk of getting the disease.
5. Monkeypox is a new disease that was discovered in the last few years.
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Incorrect
false. The first case of monkeypox was in a 9-month-old in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1970. Monkeypox is in the same family as smallpox. Since smallpox has been almost completely eliminated in the United States, we have not had a high chance of finding monkeypox in this country. It has occurred more in other regions where smallpox is still active — and because of increased travel, we were always at risk for this becoming a global crisis.
6. You can have monkeypox and not have any symptoms.
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Incorrect
true. Most people who have monkeypox will develop symptoms within the first two to four weeks of being exposed to the virus. But some people will not develop symptoms. Many of the symptoms will look like symptoms of other illnesses like a common cold. The defining feature of monkeypox is a rash, but you don’t always have to have a rash. You can have a fever, body aches, fatigue, headaches or respiratory symptoms.
7. Monkeypox is no big deal.
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Incorrect
false. Most people will not die from monkeypox, but it can still be a big deal. The disease is very painful for many people, can result in hospitalization, and, for some people, it causes heavy scarring, which can cause self-consciousness, anxiety and other psychological effects.
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