A Venue-Based Approach to Asymptomatic Mpox Screening and Doxy-PEP Provision: From Outbreak to Outreach, San Francisco, California, 2023‒2024

Caitlin A Contag; Zachary T Renfro; Adi Xiyal Mukund; Meg Quint; Shannon Amitin; Vivian Levy; Phillip L Hammack; Benjamin A Pinsky; Benjamin Laniakea

doi:10.2105/AJPH.2025.308309

A Venue-Based Approach to Asymptomatic Mpox Screening and Doxy-PEP Provision: From Outbreak to Outreach, San Francisco, California, 2023‒2024

Am J Public Health. 2026 Mar;116(3):307-311. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2025.308309. Epub 2025 Dec 18.

Authors

Caitlin A Contag¹, Zachary T Renfro¹, Adi Xiyal Mukund¹, Meg Quint¹, Shannon Amitin¹, Vivian Levy¹, Phillip L Hammack¹, Benjamin A Pinsky¹, Benjamin Laniakea¹

Affiliation

¹ Caitlin A. Contag is with the Department of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA. Zachary T. Renfro and Meg Quint are dual MD and MS students at the Stanford University School of Medicine. Adi Xiyal Mukund was a dual MD and PhD student at the Stanford University School of Medicine at the time of this study. Shannon Amitin is with QT Cruising, San Francisco. Vivian Levy is with San Mateo Medical Center, San Mateo, CA. Phillip L. Hammack is with the University of California, Santa Cruz. Benjamin A. Pinsky is with the Clinical Virology Laboratory for Stanford Health Care, Stanford. Benjamin Laniakea is with the Stanford LGBTQ+ Adult Clinical Program, Stanford University School of Medicine.

PMID: 41411638
PMCID: PMC12895882 (available on 2028-03-01)
DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2025.308309

Abstract

The 2022 global outbreak of clade IIb mpox disproportionately impacted lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) communities and highlighted issues of stigma, access to health care, and health care‒associated trauma. Together with LGBTQ+ community partners, our research team implemented venue-based mpox virus and antibody testing. In response to feedback from our community partners, this effort evolved to include broader elements of sexual health services, including distribution of prescriptions for doxycycline postexposure prophylaxis. (Am J Public Health. 2026;116(3):307-311. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2025.308309).

MeSH terms

Disease Outbreaks* / prevention & control
Doxycycline* / administration & dosage
Doxycycline* / therapeutic use
Female
Humans
Male
Mass Screening* / methods
Mass Screening* / organization & administration
Post-Exposure Prophylaxis*
Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis*
San Francisco / epidemiology
Sexual and Gender Minorities* / statistics & numerical data

Substances

Doxycycline