Russia, which in 2023 ruled the LGBTQ+ movement to be “extremist”, before outlawing it in the country, has said it’s “absolutely sure” that the spread of Mpox is “not something we need to be afraid of” because gays don’t exist in the country.
The alert declaring Mpox a clear and present danger to the international community was issued in August, following data that showed the disease has spread in Africa, at least doubling infection rates over the last three years.
“Considering the specifics of how Mpox is spread, I am absolutely sure that in Russia, with its traditional values, this disease, which is an epidemic disease, is not something we need to be afraid of,” said Anna Popova, the head of Rospotrebnadzor, the Russian consumer protection watchdog.
“For Russia this does not present a danger,” she said, adding, “We’re not expecting it to spread. It won’t happen.”
“Traditional values” may refer to the country’s active purge of LGBTQ+ people protecting it from the disease, which is most commonly spread among men who have sex with men.
For up to date info on Mpox, visit Terrence Higgins Trust guidance HERE
