New research from a team led by Dr Louise Smith and Professor James Rubin from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King's College London, working with the UK Health Security Agency, explored society's understanding of, and attitudes toward, the 2022 mpox outbreak and people's intention to adhere to self-isolation requests and protective behaviours.
The research, published in BMJ Open, found that men who are gay, bisexual or who have sex with men (GBMSM) had a better understanding of mpox, its symptoms and risks, and were significantly more likely than the general population to intend to engage in most protective behaviours, except for self-isolation. Researchers suggest this demonstrates the effectiveness of targeted messaging from community-based organisations and charities to raise awareness of mpox in the most affected populations.
