More than 28,000 monkeypox cases have been diagnosed since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention began tracking the virus’ international outbreak in June. People infected with monkeypox experience a variety of symptoms, including fatigue, fever, muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes, and — most notably — a painful, contagious rash on the skin of the face, hands, and other parts of the body.
But while awareness of the disease itself is rising, there is still a lot of confusion about who can get it and how. If we don’t clarify this, more people will suffer.
This week, the Associated Press reported that the spread of monkeypox may “represent the dawn of a new sexually transmitted disease,” and Becoming an “entrenched STD” like HIV. This is actually incorrect. Medical professionals on social media were quick to point out the flaws in the AP statement, clarifying that monkeypox is not a Sexually Transmitted Diseases, describe it as false information.
Wrong wording when it comes to medical misinformation can be very dangerous to health and Human Rights Perspective. The common language and framework around healthcare needs to be very clear and specific, otherwise entire communities may end up underestimating or even ignoring their own level of risk. Furthermore, confusing messaging or, worse, language that implies accusation could end up fueling existing stereotypes and prejudices, exacerbating the discrimination faced by already marginalized groups. We saw this happen last year, when a rise in anti-Asian sentiment was found to be directly related to then-President Trump’s statements about the origins of the coronavirus .
The monkeypox outbreak has been compared to the HIV/AIDS crisis of the 1980s, when misinformation and social taboos surrounding the virus led to a The assumption that gays and lesbians are susceptible is different, a myth that has been disproved but still perpetuates the demonization of the LGBTQ+ community. This belief is backed up by the conservative idea that queer sex is dirty, shameful and immoral, and that people with HIV somehow deserve what happens to them — a lie that simultaneously makes other Crowds are vulnerable to the disease because they think they are safe and don’t really understand how the virus spreads.
In the context of monkeypox, men who have sex with other men have been identified as a higher-risk group and therefore prioritized in vaccine rollout – but it won’t Make monkeypox a “gay” disease. Likewise, the fact that many in the LGBTQ+ community are actively searching for a vaccine is interpreted as confirmation that they are the only ones at risk, which is more likely to indicate the hard-won lessons of the past three years.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, monkeypox virus is spread through close human-to-human contact; this may include skin-to-skin and respiratory secretions during kissing, hugging, and sexual intercourse objects, but there are other modes of transmission, such as touching objects that have been in contact with infectious rashes or bodily fluids. Crucially, the CDC website states, “Anyone who has had close personal contact with someone who has symptoms of monkeypox can contract monkeypox.”
Heard? Anyone.
The increasingly common view that monkeypox is both sexually transmitted Yes, also sexually transmitted. Gay and bisexual men will only cause this community to be scapegoated and continue to provide a foothold for the virus. In fact, it is already happening. News this week that there are now cases of children diagnosed with the disease may have contracted it from adults, but it was not clarified whether this was or not a sexually transmitted infection. While you might think making this distinction is unnecessary – surely anyone with common sense wouldn’t immediately assume these cases were sexually transmitted? – It creates space for the deliberate misinterpretation of homophobic and transphobic voices.
The idea that LGBTQ+ people are somehow trying to corrupt or recruit children is a popular myth. Headlines claiming that gay men pose a threat to minors were once commonplace, while trans and non-binary people have been seen as the latest alleged threats by the right-leaning media, with “beauticians” becoming the go-to online anti-gay. Again, you might think this is an illogical leap, but there is a sobering historical precedent.
“It’s a vile attack, but it’s not a new tactic,” LGBTQ+ activist Evan Wolfson recently told NPR, Narrated by beautician . “It’s a classic dehumanizing and fearful trope that’s been used against homosexuals for ten years and ten years… Think about the slurs we’ve had against gays for most of our lives: gays are somehow harassing children, Or after kids, or predatory.”
At a time when hate groups push the beautician myth and take every possible opportunity to “prove” queerness is a threat, no matter how vulnerable, any Forms of miscommunication around public health issues can create very real risks of violence. While they’re busy scapegoating homosexuality, monkeypox still spreads by touch, regardless of status.
Philip Ellis is a freelance writer and journalist from the United Kingdom covering pop culture, interpersonal Relationships and LGBTQ+ issues. His work has appeared on GQ, Teen Vogue, Man Repeller and MTV.
