EXPERTS have rejected the misconception that the monkeypox virus is “a gay disease” as it continues to spread across the US.
The health officials are warning the public that sexual orientation does not affect your susceptibility to the virus.
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While most cases of monkeypox in America and Europe involve gay and bisexual men, correlation doesn’t equate to causation in this case, experts say.
“This is not a gay disease,” Dr. Ken Mayer, medical research director of the Fenway Institute Boston Globe†
The comments come as the US has seen 605 confirmed cases of monkeypox/orthopoxviruses, with 7,243 reported worldwide, according to CDC data.
The virus that appears in gay men is a painful reminder of the deadliest epidemic of the 1980s.
The spread of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and autoimmune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), mainly among gay men in the 1980s, made the disease much more deadly because of stigmatization.
Health officials are determined not to experience the same as monkey pox cases in the US and UK.
Mayer explained that the disease has largely stayed with men who have sex with men since that’s where it started.
If the virus first hit straight people, it probably would have stayed among them, Mayer said.
“It’s the social network phenomenon,” Mayer said.
“It’s who you interact with, not something about the specific behavior.”
Although rare, monkeypox spreads through skin-to-skin contact. This contributes to making it particularly vulnerable to men who frequent sexual establishments such as bathhouses and sex workers.
Health officials also emphasize that the spread can happen just as easily through contaminated objects.
The onset of monkey pox often includes intense fever and headache. In some, however, the disease festers into painful, highly visible skin lesions.
The CDCs announcement of 53 monkey pox cases near Washington DC alone has led to the introduction of two new vaccine sites.
The number of vaccines available is limited, and stains for vaccinations the sites fill up as quickly as they are offered.
Priority for vaccinations is given to those for whom monkeypox poses the greatest threat.
The eligibility criteria for DC vaccinations include gay and bisexual men, transgender women, non-binary, male individuals who are sexually active with other men.
The eligibility is also extended to sex workers of any sexual orientation and gender, as well as those who are staff in institutions where regular sexual activity takes place.
If you show symptoms of monkeypox or think you may have come into contact with the monkeypox virus, contact a local health care provider immediately.