Monkeypox can be spread by close physical contact, regardless of sexual orientation or race, and scapegoating or demonizing the entire LGBTQ community as “spreaders” would be a repeat of the mistake made during the AIDS epidemic, health professionals and activists said.
The monkeypox outbreak has sparked widespread fear among the LGBTQ community amid reports of the disease tracking among men who have sex with men.
Indian equal rights activist Harish Iyer said monkeypox is not only spreading in the LGBTQ community.
“It happened in the community when there was pride month and there were more events in the community. It’s just an episode where everyone goes to a wedding and then gets Covid. So you have to look at them as victims and not as perpetrators,” Iyer told PTI.
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He further said that the monkeypox outbreak has already stigmatized the community and people who have developed fever are afraid to go for a medical test.
“AIDS was even called a gay-related disorder because it was thought to spread only among 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 with that. Why do they assume heterosexuals don’t have multiple partners,” Iyer said.
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.
Transcommunity health expert Anmol Singh said there was a risk that people would now begin to distance themselves from the community, further isolating them.
“The stigmatized thinking that we have more sexual partners or that we enjoy sex work more than any other heterosexual person will create more negativity,” Singh said.
Health professionals 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, it becomes a weapon for sensationalism, he said.
“It’s happening again, this time with monkeypox; a disease that is apparently transmitted not only sexually but also through close contact, including skin-to-skin and skin-to-clothing, such as in a family living together or friends meeting for lunch,” said Dr Gupta.
“Unfortunately, it (monkeypox) is endemic in Africa, a continent that is largely neglected in terms of their knowledge. As new cases increased, it began to be identified in homosexual and bisexual circles before others, as it involves intimate skin-to-skin contact. But it was also found in sperm samples,” he added.
Starting with high fever, sore throat, painful swelling in the groin and rectal pain, patients develop the characteristic at a later stage.
But sometimes there are inconspicuous fluid-filled blisters on the face, palms, soles, and mouth and genital ulcers that remain infectious until the lesions dry and crust over, with new skin forming underneath.
“If we are not careful, the history of HIV-AIDS will repeat itself, déjà vu.” Stigmatized and isolated, patients will not report symptoms and seek treatment, leading to further transmission, while the misinformed majority heterosexual population and even health departments mistakenly assume they are not at risk,” said Dr Gupta.
Dr Satish Kaul, director of internal medicine, Fortis Memorial Research Institute, said stigma can quickly disable an evidence-based response by fueling cycles of fear, turning people away from health services, hampering efforts to identify cases and promoting ineffective, punitive measures.
“We need to push for media, governments and communities to respond with a rights-based and evidence-based approach that avoids stigma.
“Stigma and blame undermine confidence and the capacity to respond effectively during outbreaks like this,” Dr Kuhl said.
Raj Mariwala, director of the Mariwala Health Initiative, said it is very important to look critically at public health messages.
“Rather than scapegoating or demonizing whole communities as ‘spreaders’ or using the label of suspects, it’s important to focus on accessible and affirming ways to talk about how to protect ourselves while being accurate about how it’s transmitted the virus.
“Transmission occurs primarily through close physical contact, regardless of sexual orientation or gender. This is equally relevant for any close-knit social network, not just LGBTQIA communities. Otherwise, we risk the widespread discrimination that has occurred because of the health messages surrounding HIV AIDS,” he said.
Dr Sumol Ratna, Assistant Professor, Noida International Institute of Medical Sciences, said that people who identify as transgender or who are gender-differentiated may be more susceptible given the current monkeypox outbreak.
“It is extremely important that we avoid stigmatizing gay and bisexual men or Africans as disease carriers. Although we may find clusters, especially in certain populations, viruses do not care about a person’s sexual orientation, religion or race. Stay away from anyone who is showing symptoms,” he said.
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