Monkeypox is not new, just doesn't get in the news because it's endemic among some four-legged mammals in Africa, and has crossed over to humans there through contact. It was first identified in 1958 in lab monkeys in Sweden. The first identified human case cluster in the US was in 2003, from handling some exotic African critter in a pet shop. There have been a few case clusters in the US since, but not large enough in number to make national news, until ...
This world wide outbreak traces back to a couple of large internationally attended Pride festivals (IIRC, one was in the Canary Islands). Some attendees were from Africa, some of whom had m'pox, and, well, promiscuity happened and had its predictable consequences. Infected gays returned to their home countries, were promiscuous, with new infectees who then were promiscuous ...
The localized epidemics could be brought to a near halt if the promiscuity were to stop for a month or two (and possibly a total halt if gays who had been promiscuous also self-isolated until they knew they had not gotten the disease, so as to avoid spreading m'pox to coworkers, family, and straight friends). The risk at present to straights and non-promiscuous gays (they exist and are many, they are just too "boring" to get newspaper headlines or make the 6 O'Clock news) is incidental contact with a promiscuous and infected gay person.