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Free risk assessment

Do I Have Mpox?

Mpox (once called monkeypox) is a viral infection that usually causes a distinctive rash or sores, often alongside fever and swollen glands, and since 2022 it has spread mostly through close skin-to-skin and sexual contact. Answer a few questions about your symptoms and exposure to see how concerned to be and what to do next. This is a guide, not a diagnosis.

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Pathogen
Monkeypox virus
Orthopoxvirus family (related to smallpox)
Curable
Self-limiting
Most recover with supportive care
Incubation
3–17 days
Usually sick within 21 days of contact
Illness duration
2–4 weeks
Typically resolves on its own

How it works

How this assessment works

  • Grounded in public-health guidance

    The questions, and how heavily each answer counts, follow the risk factors and symptoms the CDC and WHO describe for Mpox.

  • A risk guide, not a diagnosis

    Your answers produce a risk level, how concerned to be, and flag anything that needs urgent care. Only a lab test can confirm or rule out an infection.

  • Private by design

    It runs in your browser. We never ask for your name, email, or anything that identifies you.

About mpox

What is mpox?

Noticed a new sore, or a rash that's turning into firm blisters, after close or sexual contact — maybe with a fever or swollen glands first? Mpox is worth ruling in or out. It's a viral infection whose hallmark is a rash that marches through stages (flat spot, bump, fluid-filled blister, pus-filled bump, then scab), and since 2022 it has spread mostly through sex and close skin-to-skin contact, with sores that often begin in the genital, anal or mouth area rather than all over the body.

The reassuring part is that most people recover fully within a few weeks, and there's an effective vaccine (JYNNEOS) that can even help if given soon after an exposure. The catch is that mpox is diagnosed by swabbing a sore, so there's no blood test to catch it early: if a lesion appears, getting seen quickly is what lets you confirm it, ease the pain, and avoid passing it on. This check weighs your answers to show how concerned to be.

Many infections are silent. A low result here doesn't rule mpox out: if you've had a new partner or any concern, testing is the only way to be sure.

Screening guidance

Who should get tested for mpox?

Testing for mpox is guided by symptoms, a known exposure, or a partner's diagnosis rather than routine screening, you test when you have a reason to.

  1. 1

    You have a new, unexplained rash or sores

    Firm bumps that blister and scab — especially on the genitals, anus, mouth, hands or face — are the classic sign. Even a single sore is worth having swabbed; that swab is the only way to confirm mpox.

  2. 2

    You had close or sexual contact with someone with mpox

    A known exposure is a strong prompt to watch for symptoms and speak to a clinician — a vaccine given soon after exposure can reduce your risk or ease illness.

  3. 3

    You're a gay or bisexual man with new or multiple partners

    This is where most recent U.S. cases have occurred, so any new sore deserves a prompt look, and the JYNNEOS vaccine is recommended if you're at higher risk.

  4. 4

    You have rectal pain, painful swallowing, or swollen glands with a rash

    Proctitis (anal/rectal pain), painful sores in the throat, or tender swollen lymph nodes alongside a rash are recognised mpox patterns — get seen rather than waiting it out.

Timing

When a mpox test is reliable

Mpox is confirmed by a PCR swab of an actual sore, so there's no blood 'window' to count down: you need a visible lesion to test. Symptoms usually start about 3–21 days after exposure (often around a week), sometimes with fever and swollen glands a few days before the rash. If you were exposed but have no sore yet, don't wait on a test — ask a clinician about the vaccine, which can help if given early, and watch your skin closely.
Cover any sores and avoid skin-to-skin or sexual contact until a clinician has assessed you; contact a clinic, urgent care or your health department to arrange the swab.

Your mpox testing window

After a possible exposure, a mpox test becomes reliable around 3–21 days (rash needed to test).

Exposure Day 0 Earliest reliable Day 3 Conclusive Day 21

Before day 3 a test can miss it · from day 3 it's reliable · re-test after day 21 if you tested early.

Free tool · not a clinic

When can I test? Exposure-window calculator

Testing too soon can miss an infection. Enter the date of possible exposure to see the earliest a test can reliably detect each STI.

Full mpox testing guide: cost, treatment & where to test

Stats & rates

Mpox in the United States

The 2022 outbreak affected mostly men who have sex with men, spreading primarily through close skin-to-skin and intimate contact.

Clade II
strain behind the 2022 global outbreak

Medically Reviewed · Updated

Reviewed by Mark Riegel, MD · Sexual Health Physician · Chief Medical Reviewer

Physician focused on sexual health, STI testing, treatment and prevention, and EasySTD's chief medical reviewer. Owns the condition guides and is the clinical backstop for any page without a more specific specialist. Our editorial guidelines →

7 Sources

Good to Know

Mpox FAQs

What people ask most before testing for mpox.

What does the mpox rash look like?

It usually appears as firm, well-defined bumps that fill with fluid then pus, often with a dip in the centre, before scabbing over. Sores can be very few — sometimes just one — and commonly show up on the genitals, anus, mouth, hands or face. They can be painful (especially in or around the anus or throat) or itchy, and are contagious until every scab falls off and new skin has formed.

How is mpox spread?

Mainly through close, prolonged skin-to-skin contact, including sex — touching the rash, sores or scabs of someone with mpox. It can also spread through respiratory secretions during prolonged face-to-face contact and by touching contaminated bedding, towels or clothing. It is not spread by brief passing contact.

How is mpox diagnosed?

By swabbing a lesion (a sore or the fluid/roof of a blister) for a PCR test — there is no reliable blood test to catch it before a rash appears. That means you generally need a visible sore to confirm mpox, so see a clinician promptly if one develops.

Is there a vaccine or treatment?

Yes to prevention: the JYNNEOS vaccine is recommended for people at higher risk and can also be given shortly after an exposure. Most cases resolve on their own in 2–4 weeks; antiviral treatment (such as tecovirimat) and pain control are used for severe disease, eye involvement, or people who are immunocompromised — through a clinician or health department.

What should I do while I wait to be seen?

Cover any sores, avoid skin-to-skin and sexual contact, don't share bedding, towels or clothing, and let recent partners know so they can watch for symptoms or get vaccinated. Contact a clinic, urgent care, or your health department to arrange a swab.

Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.

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