Kapuso personality Kim Atienza has apologized for his remarks about monkeypox, which he earlier said could spread from male-to-male contact.

"My deepest apologies to those that were affected by my tweet. Some of the things I said were ambiguous and caused a lot of hurt, especially to members of the LGBTQ community," tweeted Kim.

 "You are correct, Monkeypox is sexually transmitted, but also by non-sexual close contact. It is not an STD," he added.

Monkeypox is a rare disease similar to smallpox caused by the monkeypox virus. It’s found mostly in areas of Africa but has been seen in other areas of the world. It causes flu-like symptoms such as fever and chills, and a rash that can take weeks to clear. There’s no proven treatment for monkeypox, but it usually goes away on its own, according to myclevelandclinic.org.

The Philippines has recorded its first case of monkeypox.

Monkeypox is spread when you come into contact with an animal or a person infected with the virus. Animal-to-person transmission occurs through broken skin, like from bites or scratches, or through direct contact with an infected animal’s blood, bodily fluids or pox lesions (sores).

Monkeypox can spread from person to person, but it’s less common. Person-to-person spread (transmission) occurs when you come in contact with the sores, scabs, respiratory droplets or oral fluids of an infected person usually through close, intimate situations like cuddling, kissing or sex. Research is ongoing, but researchers aren’t sure if the virus is transmitted through semen or vaginal fluids.

You can also get monkeypox by coming into contact with recently contaminated materials like clothing, bedding, and other linens used by an infected person or animal.