Uncertain about your HIV status? It is more important than ever before to get tested and know your status because Mpox is still around.

That’s the warning from Jamaica AIDS Support for Life (JASL).

Mpox is an infectious disease caused by a virus. The virus causes rashes and flu-like symptoms, and spreads from person to person through close contact.

According to the JASL, Mpox can cause serious harm especially to certain communities and populations.

While anyone can get Mpox, research by the US-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that about 40 per cent of people diagnosed with Mpox in the United States also have HIV. People living with HIV, who are not on treatment may be immunocompromised. This therefore means that should they contract Mpox, there will be more severely affected or may even die.

In Jamaica, according to information from the Ministry of Health and Wellness, over 30,000 Jamaicans are living with HIV. However, only 27,000 are aware that they are living with HIV and of those who are aware of their status only 14,000 are on HIV treatment.

For people living with undiagnosed HIV, symptoms of Mpox often don’t show up until CD4 counts have dropped below the critical levels, usually below 200 cells/mm3 .

Once the CD4 levels are critical it severely limits treatment options and recovery outcomes, with one study showing that some people living with undiagnosed HIV, having caught aggressive strains of Mpox, died within a month.

This is in stark contrast to individuals taking antiretroviral treatment for HIV and who have a healthy CD4 count, as they tend to have the same prognosis as those who don’t have HIV.

While the Mpox disease continues to circulate at low levels, the potentially lethal nature of the disease means everyone should get tested for HIV and if you are living with HIV speak to your doctor and start treatment today, the JASL urges.

Jamaica AIDS Support for Life in partnership with EpIC and United States Agency for International Development has launched a communication campaign titled ‘Healthy Together: M-Facts’ to share information about Mpox. For more information about Mpox contact Jamaica AIDS Support for Life at 876-925-0021 or via their social media pages.

5 Facts about Mpox

Skin rashes, usually large bumps and open sores (“pox”) around the size of a coin, filled with fluid covering the entirety of the body – that’s probably what you think of when you think about Mpox, formerly known as Monkey Pox. But did you know that Mpox is way more than a nasty rash that could possibly force you to take cover indoors for two to four weeks? Did you know that an Mpox infection can result in more serious problems like a loss of vision and even death?

Here are 5 facts that you need to know about Mpox:

1. Mpox can look similar to other poxes.

Mpox can look similar to chickenpox, measles, bacterial skin infections, scabies, syphilis and medication-associated allergies. The only way to actually know if it is MPox is to be tested. A Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test is accurate in diagnosing the illness.

2. Mpox may have made a reappearance in 2022 but it isn’t new

The monkeypox virus was first discovered in 1958 in Denmark. The first reported human case of Mpox was in the 1970s in a nine-month-old baby. There was an outbreak of the viral disease in May 2022. The initial cluster of cases was found in the United Kingdom, where the first case was detected in London.

3. The bumps are contagious until new skin forms.

The skin rashes associated with Mpox are considered infectious until all the lesions have crusted over, the scabs have fallen off and a new layer of skin has formed. Mpox is spread through close, personal contact and can include other symptoms such as fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, low energy, and swollen lymph nodes.

4. It adversely affects people living with HIV

Mpox disproportionately affects people living with HIV who account for up to 48 per cent of diagnoses globally. For people living with highly compromised immune systems, like HIV, the infection can be much more severe with such individuals more likely to die from the disease.

5. There is an Mpox vaccine, among other treatment options.

Individuals at higher risk of being exposed to Mpox are encouraged to speak to their doctor about getting vaccinated. Additionally, pain medicines, such as paracetamol, can help to reduce the severity of some Mpox symptoms.

Jamaica AIDS Support for Life in partnership with EpIC and United States Agency for International Development has launched a communication campaign titled ‘Healthy Together: M-Facts’ to share information about Mpox. For more information about Mpox contact Jamaica AIDS Support for Life at 876-925-0021 or via their social media pages.