Mpox and Vaccine Knowledge, Beliefs, and Sources of Trusted Information Among Gay, Bisexual, and Other Men Who Have Sex With Men in the U.S.

Abstract

ObjectivesThis research aims to characterize disparities in mpox- and vaccine-related knowledge in gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) in the U.S. MethodsWe conducted a study using the American Men's Internet Survey (AMIS), which includes 823 cisgender (defined as their gender identity matching their sex assigned at birth) males aged 15 and older from August 5 – 15, 2022. We evaluated sociodemographic and behavioral factors associated with mpox knowledge, including race/ethnicity, region, age group, and HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) use using chi-squared tests. ResultsWe identified knowledge gaps with many participants unsure about whether individuals need two doses of the vaccine (34.4%), and if the vaccine confers immediate protection (27.2%). We observed racial and regional disparities (p<0.01), with 24.4% of Non-Hispanic Black men and 18.1% of men living in the South reporting little to no mpox awareness. Among the 707 self-reported HIV-negative participants, people who used PrEP within the past year were more likely to exhibit high awareness about mpox compared to people who did not use PrEP. ConclusionsFindings suggest the potential to leverage existing networks (i.e., STI or general healthcare services with PrEP use) for future targeted health service programming or education campaigns for mpox vaccination amongst GBMSM.