Prospective screening for monkeypox infection among users of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis in Denmark

Abstract

Introduction During the 2022 outbreak of mpox (previously called monkeypox), which primarily affected Gay, Bisexual, and other Men who have Sex with Men (GBMSM), testing was mainly limited to individuals with symptoms of infection. Although sporadic cases of mpox continue to be diagnosed in Denmark, the feasibility of screening asymptomatic high-risk populations, such as those using HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), is still unknown. Methods During the autumn of 2022, a rectal swab test for mpox PCR was included in the routine sexually transmitted infections (STI) screening for PrEP users. Results The screening included 224 asymptomatic men with a median age of 36.5 years. One patient (0.4%) tested positive for mpox. Ten (4.5%) and nine (4.0%) had chlamydia and gonorrhea, respectively. Discussion Our study demonstrates that screening for mpox is feasible in two Danish PrEP clinics.