People warned about having sex as UK prepares for first mpox cases

If you were planning on spending your weekend rolling around in the sheets with your lover, you might want to think again.

As a result of the World Health Organisation (WHO) declaring mpox a global health emergency earlier this week, people are being warned to reconsider their sexual activities.

Although there is no need for alarm or to boot your other half out of bed just yet, health chiefs in the UK have said that 'planning is under way to prepare for any cases' that could arise in wake of the outbreak in several African countries.

The first European case of this more contagious variant, clade 1b, was confirmed yesterday (15 August) by Sweden, with officials explaining the patient contracted it while travelling to an mpox hotspot on the world's second-largest continent.

Needless to say, this all serves as a reminder that you can never be too careful when it comes to your health - and taking hanky-panky of the menu could come in very handy when it comes to mpox.

Having sex when you have mpox symptoms is a sure-fire way to spread the virus. (Getty Stock Image)

Formerly referred to as 'monkeypox', this is a viral illness which spreads through close contact which is commonly considered to be a less severe version of smallpox.

The NHS, which currently regards the risk of catching it as 'low', explains that it usually takes between five and 21 days for the first symptoms - such as a temperature, headache, muscle aches and swollen glands - to appear.

Other indicators of mpox include shivering, exhaustion, joint pain and a rash - which a lot of people can easily brush off as harmless, although it can quickly spread across the body.

According to the NHS, you can transmit mpox to other people while you are displaying any of these symptoms.

The most common way it is passed from person to person is close contact - and if you are having sex when you are infected, you're essentially asking for trouble.

It's thought that the virus enters the body via broken skin, the respiratory tract and via the eyes, nose, mouth or genitals, but any close physical contact with mpox blisters or scabs puts you at risk.

The WHO has declared the recent outbreak a global health emergency. (Getty Stock Image)

The NHS warn that 'sexual contact, kissing, cuddling or holding hands' could lead to you contracting the virus, while touching contaminated objects such as clothing and bedding will too.

Nucleus Medical Media, who create animations which help people better understand their health, explained why people need to be wary about having sex amid a mpox outbreak further in a YouTube video.

And for those hoping that a trusty condom might be a loophole, you'd be sadly mistaken, according to these lot.

The clip explained: "You can catch the virus from close skin-to-skin contact, especially through sexual activity with a person who has monkeypox symptoms.

"If you have sex with someone who has monkeypox, it is important to know that using a condom alone probably won’t protect you from catching the disease.

"This is because the virus can also spread through contact with a rash on non-genital parts of their body, body fluids - including droplets in their breath - and surfaces or objects they have used, such as their clothes and bedding."

So if you suspect you or your partner might have mpox, the best way to protect yourself is to abstain from sex of any kind.