Monkeypox a gay thing
Gay or bisexual men communicate concern about monkeypox, are critical of government’s response
Survey respondents who describe themselves as gay or pansexual men are especially concerned about the monkeypox outbreak and offer a more negative appraisal of the U.S. government’s response than straight men, according to a new Pew Analyze Center survey. Men who describe themselves as lgbtq+ or bisexual are also more likely to utter they have received or intend to get a monkeypox vaccine.
The United States declared monkeypox a widespread health emergency on Aug. 4 as cases spread throughout the country obeying the first reported case on May The expansive majority of reported monkeypox cases have been among men who have sex with men. Members of the LGBTQ community own expressed frustration with the government’s response to the outbreak, including the limited availability of vaccines to prevent the disease.
How we did this
Pew Research Center conducted this study to understand Americans’ views about the monkeypox outbreak. Responses come from a Center survey of 10, U.S. adults conducted Sept.
By guest contributors Boghuma K. Titanji MD PhD, Keletso Makofane, PhD and @neurofourier
In recent weeks multiple cases of confirmed and suspected monkeypox infections have been reported in three European countries. The initial cluster of cases which first appeared in the United Kingdom so far includes four men who recognize as gay or bisexual or other men who contain sex with men (MSM). The narrative emerging as this outbreak evolves to involve other European countries, Canada and the United States is sadly reminiscent of initial reporting on pneumocystis pneumonia clusters in lgbtq+ men with AIDS forty years ago. Monkeypox is not a gay disease and neither are any other infectious diseases. It is unfortunate that this still needs to be said, stressing how little we have learned from previous outbreaks.
Stigma directed at a particular group of individuals fuels fear and seriously impedes upon outbreak investigation, case identification and general health interventions. The repercussions of labelling HIV infection a homosexual disease led to untold suffering in gay communities in th
Since early May, more than 23, cases of monkeypox have been reported worldwide. This is the largest ever global outbreak of the disease.
Cases have now been reported in 78 countries including the UK, Spain, Germany, France, the US and Brazil. Given the scale of the outbreak, the World Health Organization (WHO) has now declared the current monkeypox epidemic a global health emergency.
While anyone can obtain monkeypox, the current outbreak is overwhelmingly affecting sexually active same-sex attracted, bisexual and other men who have sex with men. In fact, our recent study which looked at monkeypox infections since the start of the outbreak found that 98% of these infections had occurred in this group. Here’s what these men need to know.
How it spreads
Monkeypox is a disease caused by infection with the human monkeypox virus, which comes from the same virus family as smallpox. In fact, symptoms are quite similar to smallpox and enclose fever, headache, muscle aches, chills, cold symptoms (such as a cough or sore throat).
Symptoms are also accompanied by a rash that appears in blisters on the
‘I felt like I was dirty’: experiences of queer men diagnosed with mpox in England
“After I left the clinic, I got very emotional. Not because I had monkeypox…But I felt let down by the way the discourse, and the way that the infection, the virus or whatever it is, was being portrayed as well. It took me to a place where I just didn’t expect to feel in terms of my trial, as a gay dude, with lots of privilege in lots of ways. Usually I felt love I had dignity in the [health] service and the way I am treated by the government and the likes of that. And it just kind of really sped away suddenly.”
A recent study found that men diagnosed with mpox, clinicians and community stakeholders think that the government's perceived inaction towards the illness was due to its association with stigmatised sexual minorities. This systemic defeat was often compared to the initial response to the AIDS crisis.
Glossary
stigma
Social attitudes that suggest that having a particular illness or being in a particular situation is something to be ashamed of. Stigma can be questioned and