It's important to note that there's been cases of gay men with monekypox whose sex partners all tested negative. If we use a strict definition of STI, monkeypox isn't an STI because it is not transmitted via sperm or vaginal fluid. It can't be ruled out that it spreads airborne, though, and it has been proven that it can spread via contaminated surfaces (towels, bedding etc.). When this is portrayed as just a gay STI, it isn't possible to accurately assess the risk of and effectively avoid infection.