Most cases of monkeypox occur in men who have "sexual relations" with other men

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According to the World Health Organization, men who have sex with other men are still, by a significant margin, the people who are most likely to become infected with monkeypox. And because of this, there have been some challenges in communicating to the public about how they can protect themselves and improve public health. There is a risk of further stigmatizing gay and bisexual men in every aspect of the situation, from the name we give to the virus to the advice we give on how to stop its spread. However, experts emphasized that despite the potential for transmission, it is critical to keep the topic of sexual activity at the forefront and core of the discussion regarding monkeypox. Incoming director of Duke Global Health Institute, Chris Beyrer said,

"You have to be specific about who's actually at risk, and what are the transmission routes."

Even though it is theoretically possible to contract monkeypox through means other than sexual contact, such as by coming into contact with fabrics that have been handled by an infected person, this actually happens very infrequently. It is essential to keep in mind that sexual contact between men continues to be the primary mode of transmission of the current outbreak, especially considering the lack of vaccines available at this time. Beyrer added:

"In a period of vaccine scarcity, you have to try and use vaccines, to interrupt chains of transmissions. It's important to try and contain the outbreak by getting higher rates of population immunity in the networks where this is spreading."

According to Beyrer, one of the most difficult problems facing the public health sector is putting a stop to risky behavior involving sexual activity. That is, advising queer and gay people to cut down on the number of sexual partners they have and to avoid getting too close to people they don't know. Messaging which harkens back to the messaging of the early HIV/AIDS.

"And people found it to have some kind of elements of homophobia, and anti-sex when sexuality is a very big part of identity," said Beyrer.

Dr. Jennifer Brier of the University of Illinois in Chicago studies the epidemic's past. There were several discussions regarding how to bring up monkeypox, including whether or not it should be classified as a sexually transmitted infection. In response to the question of how we should respond to the claims of "gay sickness" by those with ill intentions, she referred us back to one of the foundational texts of public health: How to Have Sex in an Epidemic. In light of the lack of transparency in government, two guys, Michael Callen and Richard Berkowitz, produced this report. The booklet, which later evolved into a more serious document about the risks of sexual activity during the HIV/AIDS crisis, was originally a screed with the title "We Know Who We Are: Two Gay Men Declare War on Promiscuity." Brier said:

"And people went banana pants at that article. Like, 'you're attacking gay liberation, that's who we are.' And I understand that at some level. But they were also trying to figure out a model of harm reduction before it existed."

It's a playbook from which people are still drawing inspiration and gaining knowledge today. Nick Diamond is a co-investigator with the RESPND-MI project, which is a community-driven initiative in New York City to anonymously collect data about sexual networks among persons who identify as queer or transgender. And in July, in response to a scarcity of information regarding monkeypox from local, state, and federal agencies, Diamond co-wrote a document that was named "Six Ways We Can Have Safer Sex in the Time of Monkeypox." He said:

"I'll be the first to say that we have been leaning on activists from the AIDS response to develop these actions around our response to monkeypox"

However, he qualifies this statement by saying that the line is not entirely clear. HIV/AIDS was a far more lethal pandemic that emerged at a politically distinct epoch. However, Diamond claims that discussions about gay and trans sex remain taboo. He added:

"We have to talk about sex when we're talking about monkeypox. I think that these are uncomfortable conversations but it is one of the determinants of our health and rights."

When doing so, it is essential to have a conversation regarding the breadth and depth of human sexuality. According to HIV/AIDS historian Jennifer Brier, the specific turn of phrase "men who have sex with men" can be limiting. Although men who have sex with other men are currently at the center of the monkeypox outbreak, Men who have sex with other men don't exclusively have sex with other men, and the same is true for women who have sex with men. Brier said:

"Our sexual desires and our sexual practices are way more complicated than any phrase can give us."

Source: Newsnetdaily