Informed, but uncertain
Managing transmission risk and isolation in the 2022 mpox outbreak among gay and bisexual men in Australia
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 7151230 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Daniel Storer (0000-0001-8465-7664, UNSW Sydney, corresponding author), Martin Holt (0000-0002-2586-8274, UNSW Sydney), Sara Paparini (0000-0002-1909-2481, Queen Mary University of London), Bridget Haire (0000-0002-0657-9610, UNSW Sydney), Vincent J Cornelisse (0000-0003-0657-9677, The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia), James Macgibbon (0000-0002-1359-9572, UNSW Sydney), Timothy R Broady (0000-0002-4341-1868, UNSW Sydney), Timmy Lockwood (New South Wales Health, Sydney, Australia), Valerie Delpech (0000-0002-9952-8109, Mid North Coast Local Health District, Coffs Harbour, Australia), Anna McNulty (0000-0003-3174-1242, New South Wales Health, Sydney, Australia), A K Smith (0000-0002-0005-9542, UNSW Sydney) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 27 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 16-31 |
| Publication date | 2025-01-02 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Culture Health & Sexuality (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1369-1058 • E-ISSN: 1464-5351 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/13691058.2024.2346540 |
| PMID | 38756104 |
| OpenAlex | W4397012711 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 3 |
| References cited | 33 |
In 2022, a global outbreak of mpox (formerly 'monkeypox') emerged in non-endemic countries, including Australia, predominantly affecting gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men. Public health advice on transmission and isolation emerged rapidly from different sources, sometimes conflicting and producing uncertainty. Using the concept of 'counterpublic health', which acknowledges the incorporation of official science and experiences of affected communities into embodied practice, this paper investigates how people affected by mpox in Australia managed risk of transmission and navigated self-isolation. In-depth interviews were conducted with 16 people: 13 people diagnosed with mpox and three close contacts. All participants were cisgender gay and bisexual men living in Australia. Participants thought critically about public health advice, often finding it restrictive and unresponsive to the needs of people with mpox. Participants' decisions about reducing mpox risk and isolating often drew on experiences with other infections (i.e. HIV; COVID-19) and were made collaboratively with the people closest to them (e.g. partners, friends, family) to sustain relationships. Future public health responses to infectious disease outbreaks would benefit from identifying more opportunities to formalise and embed mechanisms to obtain feedback from affected communities so as to inform responses
Outbreak · Public health · Herpesvirus Infections and Treatments · Medicine · Nursing · Poxvirus research and outbreaks · Psychology · Zoonotic diseases and public health · Virology
Monkeypox Virus Infection in Humans across 16 Countries — April–June 2022
Reflecting on reflexive thematic analysis
Mpox knowledge, behaviours and barriers to public health measures among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men in the UK
Regulating sexual bodies or addressing health needs? Men who have sex with men and partner notification
How to have sex in a pandemic
I did not have sex outside of our bubble’
Mpox Illness Narratives
Making evidence and policy in public health emergencies
Relationship Between Sexual Behaviors with Non-committed Relationship Partners and Covid-19 Restrictions and Notification Rates
Sex in the time of coronavirus
Risk and emotion
Understanding 'risk' in families living with mixed blood-borne viral infection status
Sustaining safe practice
Making publics in a pandemic
Associations Between Physical Distancing and Mental Health, Sexual Health and Technology Use Among Gay, Bisexual and Other Men Who Have Sex With Men During the Covid-19 Pandemic
Impure Science
| Citations per year | 1.5 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2024 - 2026 (3) |
| Highly cited | No |