Some people will need to know so that they can protect themselves or support you, but you won’t have to tell anyone who doesn’t need to know:
Close Contacts (including sexual partners)
Yes, people who have had close contact with you while you have been infectious do need to know. Public Health will work with you to inform your contacts. Unless you tell them yourself, public health will not tell your contacts that you have mpox, just that they have been in contact with someone who has mpox.
Whānau
The people you live with may need to know so that you can protect each other. You don’t need to tell anyone else in your whānau or anyone else you don’t want to know. Having mpox is nothing to be ashamed of, so if you need any help, consider reaching out to those around you for support.
Employers
Public Health will work with you to do this. Your healthcare provider can provide you with a medical certificate to give to your employer as evidence that you are required to isolate and cannot attend your place of work. This certificate will not include clarification of an mpox diagnosis unless you have asked for it to. Instead, it will just give a general explanation that you cannot attend work due to medical reasons. Your employer would only be told of your mpox diagnosis if Public Health needed to manage potential exposure to mpox in your workplace, but this is unlikely.