Monkeypox ‘not a gay disease,’ blast experts – after infected men reveal they are suffering debilitating pain & lesions
EXPERTS have blasted the misconception that the monkeypox virus is "a gay disease" as it continues to spread throughout the US.
The health officials are warning the public that sexual orientation does not affect your susceptibility to the virus.
While most cases of monkeypox in America and Europe involve gay and bisexual men, correlation, in this case, does not equal causation, experts say.
"This is not a gay disease," Fenway Institute medical research director Dr Ken Mayer told the .
The remarks come as the US has seen 605 confirmed monkeypox/orthopoxvirus cases with 7,243 reported worldwide, according to CDC data.
The virus appearing in queer males is a painful recall to the deadliest epidemic of the 1980s.
The spread of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and autoimmune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) primarily through gay males in the 1980s made the disease that much deadlier due to stigmatization.
Health officials are determined to not experience the same as monkeypox cases rise in the US and the UK.
Mayer explained that the disease has largely stayed among men who have sex with men because that's where it began.
If the virus first affected straight people, it would likely have remained among them, according to Mayer.
HEALTH NEWs
“It’s the social network phenomenon,” Mayer said.
“It’s who you’re having contact with, not anything about the specific behavior.”
Though rare, monkeypox spreads through skin to skin contact. This contributes to it being particularly vulnerable to men who visit sexual establishments such as bathhouses and sex workers.
Health officials also stress the spread can just as easily happen via contaminated objects.
The onset of monkeypox often includes intense fever and headaches. However, for some, the disease festers into painful, very visible skin lesions.
The announcement of 53 cases of monkeypox near Washington DC alone has led to the introduction of two new vaccine sites.
The number of vaccines available is limited, and at the sites fill up as quickly as they are offered.
Priority for vaccinations is being given to those whom monkeypox poses the highest threat.
The eligibility criteria for DC vaccinations includes gay and bisexual males, transgender women, non-binary, male-bodied individuals who are sexually active with other men.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
Read More On The Sun
The eligibility is also extended to sex workers of any sexual orientation and gender, as well as those who are staff at establishments where sexual activities are engaged in regularly.
If you are displaying monkeypox symptoms or believe you have come into contact with the monkeypox virus, contact a local healthcare provider immediately.