How does skin to skin infection work? (specifically monkeypox)

[mind-lost]

Is skin-to-skin contact a specific medical classification that would be different than how a lay person thinks of it? Normally I don't think of someone infected to be able to shed virus out of healthy intact skin.
It's been said hugging can transmit, but why don't I hear about handshakes as a risk?

Does skin-to-skin imply there is a break in skin for of both parties for infection to happen? I thought skin was a natural barrier to viruses and bacteria.
Wouldn't something like kissing (some saliva exchange right?) be something more extreme than to be classified as skin to skin contact?
If someone has a visible pox that comes in contact with someone without any skin break, is that considered skin to skin, I would have thought that as something like touching someone's wound,..which I don't really think of merely skin to skin.

[auntiejessi]

Normally, skin to skin requires a break in the skin - herpes certainly would, for example, but monkeypox doesn't require that.

All you need to do is come into contact with monkeypox rash, scabs, or body fluids from a person with monkeypox. It also spreads from respiratory secretions, and on surfaces.

If you are high risk, you might talk to your doctor about getting the vaccine for it.