Mpox–SHS: perception of risks, health measures and vaccination
Last updated on 09 January 2025
In brief
Principal investigator
Gabriel Girard – UMR1252 SESSTIM
Pathology
Mpox
Structure/teams
AIDES, ORS PACA, ENIPSE, SMIT Hôpital Tenon, Institut Pierre Louis d’épidémiologie et de santé publique
Responsable de traitement
Data controller
Status
Ended
Context
During the summer and autumn of 2022, the emergence of an mpox epidemic on an international scale prompted numerous social, political, medical and media reactions. In European countries such as France, men who have sex with men, sex workers and multi-partner trans people were the communities most affected by the virus and its consequences.
From the first weeks of the summer of 2022, the SESSTIM Community Health and Research team (SanteRCom), in conjunction with its partners (Aides, ENIPSE, ORS PACA, AP-HP, iPLesp) developed a “Monkeypox-SHS ’ study in order to analyse the health, social and political issues of the mpox epidemic in France.
Presentation of the mpox- SHS project
Objectives
The general aim of this research project is to document the mpox epidemic of 2022 ‘on the spot’, and the issues associated with the emergence of simian smallpox in France at different levels:
- Experiences of patients and case contacts,
- Perceptions of risk among the populations concerned,
- Perspectives of healthcare professionals, community players and public health players,
- Public debate and communication strategies
Results
The study was conducted between July 2022 and January 2023. A total of 5,688 people responded to a short online questionnaire, while 30 interviews were conducted for the qualitative component.
The study was used to characterise perceptions of the Mpox risk in a population of MSM, and perceptions of vaccination. Interviews with those involved in the response documented the mobilisation of community, medical, institutional and scientific resources.
At the end of September 2023, the SESSTIM research team and its partners organised a community forum in collaboration with lʼANRS MIE and TRT5-CHV, with feedback from lʼexperiences and presentations of lʼétude results. The forum brought together around fifty participants in Paris. This report summarises the discussions at the forum.
Download the summary (in french)Scientific publications in progress
Two articles are currently being submitted:
- “Negotiating access to healthcare and experience of stigma among MSM during the 2022 Mpox epidemic in France: a qualitative study”
- Profiles of adherence to public health information and measures during the French Mpox outbreak in 2022: accounting for the GBMSM experiences for the preparedness to future outbreaks