Is monkeypox only in gays
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 get monkeypox, the current outbreak is overwhelmingly affecting sexually active gay, pansexual 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 want to know.
How it spreads
Monkeypox is a disease caused by infection with the human monkeypox virus, which comes from the identical virus family as smallpox. In fact, symptoms are quite similar to smallpox and include fever, headache, muscle aches, chills, frozen symptoms (such as a cough or sore throat).
Symptoms are also accompanied by a rash that appears in blisters on the face, genitals, the chest and back, and on the hands and feet. Some people also experience very pain
Monkeypox is spreading among lgbtq+ men worldwide
The Planet Health Organization (WHO) has now confirmed nearly cases of monkeypox in over a dozen countries, with the largest number in the UK. While most cases so far are among gay and pansexual men, health officials emphasise that anyone can reduce the virus through secure personal contact.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) reported the first case in the current outbreak on 7 May in a man who had recently travelled to Nigeria, where monkeypox is endemic. This was soon followed by two additional cases who share a household and four cases among homosexual and bisexual men, all of whom appear to have contracted the virus locally. As of 23 May, UKHSA has reported 70 confirmed cases in England and one in Scotland.
The latest WHO update on 21 May listed 92 confirmed and 28 suspected cases. After the UK, the most cases have been reported in Spain and Portugal, with smaller numbers in several other European countries, Canada, the United States and Australia. An informal tally by , compiled from various sources, listed more than confirmed or suspected cases worldwide as of 25 May.
Cases so far have “mainly but not exclusively been identi
‘I felt like I was dirty’: experiences of male lover 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 encounter, as a gay guy, with lots of privilege in lots of ways. Usually I felt enjoy 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 consider that the government's perceived inaction towards the illness was due to its association with stigmatised sexual minorities. This systemic mistake 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 statement matches the biologic
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 produce you sick, including a rash, which may watch like pimples or blisters, often with an earlier flu-like illness. While the current outbreak in the U.S. has high rates of known cases among gay and bisexual men and transgender and genderqueer 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 same family as smallpox, although much less severe. Its entitle is characterized by the pox illness that occurs upon infection, leading to an outbreak of lesions spreading from the meet to the rest of the body, including t
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