There had been racist comments on social media associating the disease's name with African populations. Stigmatizing remarks had also wrongly identified mpox as a "gay disease," as gay men, bisexuals, and
men who have sex with men are among the most affected globally. This stigma is thought to deter individuals from seeking diagnosis, vaccination, and treatment, reminiscent of the early days of the HIV/AIDS pandemic in the 1980s.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mpox#