The 2022-23 mpox outbreak was the first period of sustained community transmission in countries without epidemiological links to endemic regions and disproportionately affected gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM). In response, public health agencies implemented a range of measures including vaccination, testing, contact tracing, isolation guidance and behavioural risk reduction messaging. Our previous qualitative research with GBMSM in the UK found that most participants were well informed about mpox transmission and generally willing to engage with recommended preventive behaviours (May et al, 2023). However, the acceptability and feasibility of public health measures varied according to people’s circumstances, social networks and access to trusted information.
Our research highlighted the critical role of communication in supporting engagement with public health guidance (May et al, 2023). Participants relied heavily on community networks and social media to access information and assess risk, with messages shared through trusted networks often facilitating uptake of protective behaviours. At the same time, social media could contribute to misinformation, confusion and unequal access to information, particularly among those less connected to established GBMSM communities. Participants consistently expressed a preference for timely, clear and trustworthy information from official sources that could address uncertainty and support informed decision-making.
The emergence of Clade Ib mpox and concerns about wider international transmission have renewed the need for effective public health communication. Building on our previous findings, the Improving Mpox Advice, Guidance and Engagement (IMAGE) study seeks to understand how people at increased risk of mpox, and where relevant their families and carers, receive, interpret and respond to UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) advice relating to vaccination, testing, prevention and behaviour change. By identifying barriers and facilitators to engagement with public health messages, the study will generate evidence to optimise the clarity, accessibility, acceptability and effectiveness of UKHSA communications and support a more equitable and effective response to future mpox outbreaks
Reference
May, T., Towler, L., Smith, L.E. et al. Mpox knowledge, behaviours and barriers to public health measures among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men in the UK: a qualitative study to inform public health guidance and messaging.
BMC Public Health 23, 2265 (2023).
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-023-17196-0
