Monkeypox has not previously been reported as a sexually transmitted infection but it can be passed on by direct contact during intercourse. /CDC/Reuters
A leading British doctor has warned that monkeypox could have a "massive impact" on access to sexual health services.
In London, where most of the UK's 20 confirmed cases have been identified, sexual health clinics have stopped people from walking in for services.
Although monkeypox has not previously been reported as a sexually transmitted infection, it can be passed on by direct contact during intercourse.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has said the infection can be spread through "close contact or contact with clothing or linens used by a person who has monkeypox".
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The most recent UK cases have been in gay or bisexual men, which has prompted the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) to encourage them to report any unusual rashes or lesions.
They are being asked to contact their local sexual health service with their concerns.
Meanwhile, sexual health clinics in London are asking all patients to contact staff in advance of their appointment and inform them about their symptoms.
This is to ensure that those with symptoms can be kept out of waiting rooms or facilities where other people are present.
Some of the staff working in sexual health clinics have already been given a smallpox jab to help protect them against monkeypox – the vaccine offers 85 percent protection since the two viruses are quite similar.
"Giving smallpox vaccination to people who are at high risk of being exposed to monkeypox or indeed shortly after they've got it, will prevent them from getting the infection," said Jimmy Whitworth, Professor of International Public Health at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
"So that is one of the interventions that will be offered to contacts of people who have had monkeypox."
The UK government is stocking up on smallpox vaccines to help protect against monkeypox.
Head of the Institute of Microbiology of the German Armed Forces can be seen working in his laboraty in Munich after Germany detected its first case of monkeypox. /Christine Uyanik/Reuters
The British Association for Sexual Health and HIV has warned about the effect it can have on other infections as staff who come into contact with sufferers are having to isolate.
Claire Dewsnap, the president of the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV, said "it is already stretching the workforce".
"In terms of the infection and its consequences for individuals, I'm not that concerned, but I am concerned about our ability to maintain good sexual health services and access for everyone while still managing this new infection," she told the BBC.
Dewsnap criticized cuts to their budgets over the past decade and urged authorities to provide "adequate funding" for sexual health services. She stressed the importance of being able to see people quickly when dealing with infection while "they don't know they have an infection and therefore they can pass it on to people".
Dewsnap said suitable funding could "ensure people can get in quickly, and therefore we can reduce the risk of infection of other people".
"I am concerned about the potential impact on access to sexual health generally," she added.