The claim

A video suggests that children became infected with monkeypox through sexual abuse.

Our conclusion

This is wrong because both children and adults can become infected with monkeypox WITHOUT sexual contact.

A TikTok video, which was also shared on Facebook , raises the question of why children are sick with monkeypox if the virus is only spread through sexual contact.

In the video, a man says: “So let’s see if I got this right. Monkeypox is transmitted sexually. Monkeypox is on the rise. Children get monkeypox.”

This claim is not true because both children and adults can become infected with monkeypox without So if this video suggests that children contracted monkeypox through sexual abuse, or questions whether the reported cases of monkeypox in children are real, both would be wrong.

Since May, cases of monkeypox have been reported for the first time in a number of countries outside West and Central Africa - where the disease is endemic in several countries - in people who had not traveled to the region.

The Robert Koch Institute says:

“Transmission from person to person is rare and only possible through close contact, but can occur through contact with body fluids and the typical skin changes (e.g. vesicle contents, scabs) of those infected with monkeypox.” According to the RKI, it is currently not certain whether monkeypox “can be spread through direct sexual transmission routes (e.g. through semen or vaginal secretions), but direct skin contact with lesions during sexual activities can spread the virus. Particularly high virus concentrations are found in the typical smallpox lesions (skin changes). Transmission is possible even when non-specific symptoms occur (such as fever, headache and body aches) before the skin lesions appear through face-to-face contact through excreted respiratory secretions.”

While health authorities believe monkeypox is spread through sexual contact, that is not the only way the virus can spread.

Monkeypox can be transmitted from person to person through:

  • Close physical contact with monkeypox blisters or scabs (including sexual contact, kissing, cuddling, or holding hands)
  • Touching clothing, bedding, or towels that have been used by a person who has monkeypox
  • A person with monkeypox coughing or sneezing when they are near them

While the main route of infection is through close or sexual contact, the monkeypox virus has also been detected in air and environmental samples in the hospital rooms of infected patients. Monkeypox is not currently considered a sexually transmitted disease, although there is debate among medical professionals about how best to classify the disease.

Cases of monkeypox confirmed in a small number of children

Cases of monkeypox in children have already been documented in countries where the disease is endemic, with the World Health Organization (WHO) pointing out that "severe cases occur more frequently in children."

The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) reported a monkeypox infection in a child on August 12, 2022. the situation report , the four-year-old girl lives in a household with two adults who are infected. Only last week the RKI became aware of the first infections among young people aged 15 and 17.

So far, three cases have been reported among young people. In a household with two adult cases, a child was also found to be infected.

Robert Koch Institute

Some users online have used these cases, along with health guidelines stating that the current outbreak is primarily due to sexual contact, to spread conspiracy theories about child sexual abuse.

However, as we mentioned, monkeypox can also be transmitted in ways other than sexual contact.

Sources:

Management report / International monkeypox outbreak: number of cases and assessment of the situation in Germany / as of August 12, 2022

– RKI: Answers to frequently asked questions about monkeypox

You can find more articles on the topic of monkeypox here.


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Notes:
1) This content reflects the current state of affairs at the time of publication. The reproduction of individual images, screenshots, embeds or video sequences serves to discuss the topic. 2) Individual contributions were created through the use of machine assistance and were carefully checked by the Mimikama editorial team before publication. ( Reason )