Why is monkeypox prevalent in gay community
mpox (Monkeypox): What You Need to Know
The CDC has raised the alert level on a mpox (monkeypox) outbreak in the United States and HHS announced that it will be ramping up testing and a vaccine distribution for those most at-risk, which includes some members of the Diverse community and people living with HIV.
mpox is a disease that can build you sick, including a rash, which may look fond pimples or blisters, often with an earlier flu-like illness. While the current outbreak in the U.S. has tall rates of recognizable cases among queer and bisexual men and transgender and non-binary people, this virus is not limited by gender or sexuality and can spread to anyone, anywhere through close, personal, often skin-to-skin contact.
Health officials and advocates are urging people to seek treatment and available prevention options, including vaccines when available.
What You Need to Realize
mpox (monkeypox) is a disease caused by the mpox virus, which is in the identical family as smallpox, although much less severe. Its mention is characterized by the pox illness that occurs upon infection, leading to an outbreak of lesions spreading from the face to the rest of the body, including th
Monkeypox: Why are gay and bisexual men more affected?
Regardless of sexual orientation, the main factor of propagation remains the multiplicity of sexual partners.
As of July 26, Monkeypox has not caused any deaths in Europe, but the disease is gaining ground. With nearly 17,000 cases worldwide, World Health Organization (WHO) director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus triggered the top level of alert on monkeypox on July 23.
Santé Publique France (SPF), France's public health agency, has recorded 1,567 patients in the country since May. 3% of those acquire been hospitalized. This epidemic differs from the waves observed so far in a dozen African countries, notably in the patients' profile: almost exclusively men, most of them males who have sex with males, known as "MSM" in the scientific community.
Read moreMonkeypox: How is it transmitted and what are the symptoms?
The question is why MSM are overrepresented among the affected. First, it is important to keep in mind that the SPF figures are still incomplete. Screening is just starting and complicated by the fact that symptoms are nonspecific. "This virus behaves like a great imitator of herpes or
‘I felt like I was dirty’: experiences of lgbtq+ 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 exposure, as a gay bloke, with lots of privilege in lots of ways. Usually I felt favor 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 assume that the government's perceived inaction towards the illness was due to its association with stigmatised sexual minorities. This systemic blunder 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 challenged.
cisgender (cis)
A person whose gender identity and utterance matches the biologic
Updated November 28, 2022
The World Health Management, WHO, recommends that the monkeypox virus, MPV, be called mpox to reduce stigma.
En español
Monkeypox is a uncommon disease caused by infection with mpox (monkeypox virus). It was first discovered in 1958. The virus is spread by skin-to-skin contact with an infected person, contact with contaminated clothes or linen, or contact with respiratory secretions from an infected individual. Scientists are currently investigating how often it is spread via respiratory secretions. The virus is usually abbreviated as mpox.
In May 2022, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported it is hunting cases of mpox in several countries that don’t normally report monkeypox, including the United States. On June 1, the CDC issued a new case definition that informs medical providers how to diagnose the virus. A CDC remark released May 18 says “anyone can spread monkeypox, regardless of sexual orientation,” while also noting the current tracking suggests “gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men make up a high number of cases.” Premature data of the current outbreak shows 98% of the
The Global Impact of Monkeypox on LGBTQ People
On July 23, 2022, the Nature Health Organization (WHO) Director-General declared the monkeypox outbreak a public health emergency of international concern.While the virus had previously been endemic only in West and Central Africa, fresh cases emerged in 2021 in both the Combined Kingdomand the United States.Data show that the current global outbreak of monkeypox has disproportionately affected self-identified gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM).According to one study tracking monkeypox infections across 16 countries from April to June of 2022, 98% of persons infected were same-sex attracted or bisexual men.By September 18, 2022, the WHO reported that the global rate of infection among GBMSM was still elevated —90.9% out of the available sample of cases (13,940/15,339).There is limited facts on the rate of infection among transgender people.Some countries with available numbers also report high rates of cases among people living with HIV.
While some experts, including the WHO, have been reluctant to strictly associate monkeypox with GBMSM or LGBTQ people to avoid stigmatizing a particular population, the current spread of monkeypox thr