- Experts are concerned that misinformation about monkeypox can prevent people from protecting themselves.
- Monkeypox can affect people of any age, gender, or sexual orientation. It is not just affecting men who have sex with other men.
- Though monkeypox is not a new virus, the situation is evolving. Still, experts say there are ways to stay safe and informed.
Health misinformation has become so rampant and harmful that U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek H. Murthy issued an advisory about it in 2021.
“Health misinformation is a serious threat to public health. It can cause confusion, sow mistrust, harm people’s health, and undermine public health efforts,” Murthy said in the advisory.
Now, the U.S. is dealing with a new emergency: Monkeypox.
Experts say misinformation about it is circulating quickly, including how it spreads and who can get the virus, and they’re concerned.
“In any outbreak of a new or unfamiliar disease, it is important to get good, high quality information out to people,” says Dr. Linda Yancey, an infectious disease specialist at Memorial Hermann Health System in Houston. “As we saw in COVID, the rumor mill will kick into high gear, and…people won’t always have the information they need to protect themselves and keep safe.”
To help provide accurate information about monkeypox, Healthline spoke with medical experts to debunk 11 troubling myths currently circulating about the virus.
