The monkeypox outbreak has sparked widespread fear for the LGBTQ community amid reports of the disease being detected among men who have sex with men. Indian equal rights activist Harish Iyer said monkey pox isn’t just spreading to the LGBTQ community. “It happened in the community when it was pride month and there were more events in the community. It’s just an episode where everyone went to a wedding and then got Covid. So you have to look at them as victims and not perpetrators,” Iyer told PTI. He also said that the monkeypox outbreak is already stigmatizing the community and people who developed fever are afraid to go for medical examination. “Even AIDS was called a gay-related disorder because it was thought to only spread to gay men. But even heterosexuals can have multiple partners. “The WHO has a precedent. They know what happened during the AIDS epidemic and their warning message could have been clearer. They could have been more careful about it. Because they assume that heterosexuals don’t have many partners,” said Iyer. The World Health Organization (WHO) issued a public health advisory stating that “some cases (of monkeypox) have been identified through sexual health clinics in gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men” communities. The World Health Organization has also asked men who have sex with men to limit their partners. Cross-community health expert Anmol Singh said there was a risk that people would now start distancing themselves from the community, which would further isolate them. “The stigmatized thought that we have more sexual partners or that we engage in more sex work than any other straight person will create more negativity,” Singh said. Health professionals have also clarified that monkeypox can be spread by close physical contact regardless of sexual orientation or race. Dr Somesh Gupta, professor in the Department of Dermatology and Venereology at AIIMS, Delhi, said the Covid pandemic seems to have boosted efforts by the mainstream media to report on the latest developments in healthcare. But without the temperament of a medical professional, he arms himself for impressiveness, he said. “It’s happening again, this time with monkeypox; a disease that is clearly transmitted not only sexually but also by close contact, including skin-to-skin and skin-to-cloth contact, such as in a family living together or friends meeting for lunch,” said Dr. Gupta. “Unfortunately, it is endemic to Africa, a continent largely ignored in terms of knowledge. With the increase in new cases, it began to be detected in gay and bisexual circles before others, as it involves intimate skin-to-skin contact. But it has also been found in semen samples,” he added. Starting with high fever, sore throat, painful swellings in the groin and rectal pain, patients develop the feature at a later stage. But sometimes, there are subtle fluid-filled blisters on the face, palms, soles, and mouth and genital ulcers that remain infectious until the lesions dry and the scabs fall off with new skin forming underneath. “If we are not careful, the history of HIV-AIDS would repeat itself, a deja vu. Stigmatized and isolated, patients would not report symptoms and seek treatment, leading to further transmission, while the misinformed majority of the heterosexual population, even health departments wrongly assume they are not at risk,” Dr Gupta said. Dr. Satish Koul, Director, Internal Medicine, The Memorial Research Institute said stigma can quickly disable an evidence-based response, fueling cycles of fear, turning people away from health services, hindering case-finding efforts and encouraging ineffective, punitive measures. “We should urge the media, governments and communities to respond with a rights-based, evidence-based approach that avoids stigma. “Stigma and guilt undermine confidence and the ability to respond effectively during outbreaks like this,” Dr Cool said. Raj Mariwala, Director of the Mariwala Health Initiative, said it is very important to critically examine public health messages. “Instead of scapegoating or demonizing entire communities as ‘spreaders’ or using the suspect label, it’s important to focus on accessible and affirming ways to talk about how to protect ourselves while being accurate about who mode of transmission of the virus. “Transmission is mainly through close physical contact, regardless of sexual orientation or gender. This is equally important for any close social network and not just for LGBT communities. Otherwise, we risk the widespread discrimination that has been caused by health messages around HIV AIDS” , he said. Dr Sumol Ratna, Assistant Professor at the International Institute of Medical Sciences Noida, said that people who identify as transgender or who have gender differences may be more susceptible given the current monkeypox outbreak. “It is important to avoid stigmatizing gay and bisexual men or Africans as disease carriers. Although we may detect groups, particularly in certain populations, viruses do not care about a person’s sexual orientation, religion or race. Keep your distance from someone who is showing symptoms,” he said.
title: “Monkey Pox Can Be Spread By Close Physical Contact Regardless Of Sexual Orientation Race Experts Say " ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-17” author: “Louis Vasquez”
The monkeypox outbreak has sparked widespread fear for the LGBTQ community amid reports of the disease being detected among men who have sex with men. Indian equal rights activist Harish Iyer said monkey pox isn’t just spreading to the LGBTQ community. “It happened in the community when it was pride month and there were more events in the community. It’s just an episode where everyone went to a wedding and then got Covid. So you have to look at them as victims and not perpetrators,” Iyer told PTI. Read | In monkeypox vaccine race, experts see rerun of Covid-19 He also said that the monkeypox outbreak is already stigmatizing the community and people who developed fever are afraid to go for medical examination. “Even AIDS was called a gay-related disorder because it was thought to only spread to gay men. But even heterosexuals can have multiple partners. “The WHO has a precedent. They know what happened during the AIDS epidemic and their warning message could have been clearer. They could have been more careful about it. Because they assume that heterosexuals don’t have many partners,” said Iyer. The World Health Organization (WHO) issued a public health advisory stating that “some cases (of monkeypox) have been identified through sexual health clinics in gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men” communities. The World Health Organization has also asked men who have sex with men to limit their partners. Cross-community health expert Anmol Singh said there was a risk that people would now start distancing themselves from the community, which would further isolate them. “The stigmatized thought that we have more sexual partners or that we engage in more sex work than any other straight person will create more negativity,” Singh said. Health professionals have also clarified that monkeypox can be spread by close physical contact regardless of sexual orientation or race. Dr Somesh Gupta, professor in the Department of Dermatology and Venereology at AIIMS, Delhi, said the Covid pandemic seems to have boosted efforts by the mainstream media to report on the latest developments in healthcare. But without the temperament of a medical professional, he arms himself for impressiveness, he said. “It’s happening again, this time in monkeypox, a disease that is clearly transmitted not only sexually but also by close contact, including skin-to-skin and skin-to-cloth contact, such as in a family living together or friends meeting for lunch,” said Dr. Gupta. “Unfortunately, it is endemic to Africa, a continent largely ignored in terms of knowledge. With the increase in new cases, it began to be detected in gay and bisexual circles before others, as it involves intimate skin-to-skin contact. But it has also been found in semen samples,” he added. Starting with high fever, sore throat, painful swellings in the groin and rectal pain, patients develop the feature at a later stage. But sometimes, there are subtle fluid-filled blisters on the face, palms, soles, and mouth and genital ulcers that remain infectious until the lesions dry and the scabs fall off with new skin forming underneath. “If we are not careful, the history of HIV-AIDS would repeat itself, a deja vu. Stigmatized and isolated, patients would not report symptoms and seek treatment, leading to further transmission, while the misinformed majority of the heterosexual population, even health departments wrongly assume they are not at risk,” Dr Gupta said. Dr Satish Koul, Director of Internal Medicine, Fortis Memorial Research Institute, said stigma can quickly disable an evidence-based response, fueling cycles of fear, turning people away from health services, hampering case-finding efforts and encouraging ineffective, punitive measures. “We should urge the media, governments and communities to respond with a rights-based, evidence-based approach that avoids stigma. “Stigma and guilt undermine confidence and the ability to respond effectively during outbreaks like this,” Dr Cool said. Raj Mariwala, Director of the Mariwala Health Initiative, said it is very important to critically examine public health messages. “Instead of scapegoating or demonizing entire communities as ‘spreaders’ or using the suspect label, it’s important to focus on accessible and affirming ways to talk about how to protect ourselves while being accurate about who mode of transmission of the virus. “Transmission is mainly through close physical contact, regardless of sexual orientation or gender. This is equally important for any close social network and not just for LGBT communities. Otherwise, we risk the widespread discrimination that has been caused by health messages around HIV AIDS” , he said. Dr Sumol Ratna, Assistant Professor at the International Institute of Medical Sciences Noida, said that people who identify as transgender or who have gender differences may be more susceptible given the current monkeypox outbreak. “It is important to avoid stigmatizing gay and bisexual men or Africans as disease carriers. Although we may detect groups, particularly in certain populations, viruses do not care about a person’s sexual orientation, religion or race. Keep your distance from someone who is showing symptoms,” he said.
