How Do I Prevent Mpox?
General Prevention and Harm Reduction
- Get vaccinated and wait until 2 weeks after your second dose to have full protection (up to 85%).
- Wash your hands frequently or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer
- Wear a mask if coming into prolonged (3+ hours) face to face contact with someone
- Disinfect surfaces touched by someone with uncovered mpox lesions.
- Do not handle towels, bedding, or clothing used by someone with mpox.
- Do not share eating utensils or food with someone diagnosed with mpox.
- Avoid crowds and crowded areas where you may have skin to skin contact with someone (bars, clubs, sex parties, saunas, and bath houses).
Sexual Health Based Prevention and Harm Reduction
- Hold off on having sex or close contact (kissing, cuddling, hugging) if you are feeling ill and/or have a rash. Encourage sex partners and friends to do the same. Phone sex/sexting is a great alternative.
- If you do have sex with someone who has mpox, have them cover lesions with bandaids or clothing; use condoms and dental dams as ways to cover genital and rectal lesions.
- Do not douche while having rectal lesions. Douching while having rectal lesions can transmit mpox further up the GI tract.
- Swap contact info with partners so you can notify each other if one of you tests positive for mpox.
- Masturbating in the same room while not touching the other person can be an effective way of preventing transmission.
- Wash your hands, sex toys, gear, bedding, and towels after having sex.
Visit our resources page for more harm reduction resources!
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