Monkey Pox is not a Gay disease – The Contrast Project Lounge podcast -Season 3 – Ep 11
“The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported more than 13,000 cases of monkeypox in the U.S. Some social media users claim that the outbreak is only affecting gay men.”
“Since Fake News won’t say it, MONKEYPOX is a sexually transmitted disease among GAY MEN!” reads an Instagram post shared on July 30. The post generated more than 1,600 likes in less than two weeks. Similar posts have amassed hundreds of interactions on Facebook. But the claim is wrong on multiple fronts.”
USA Today
“LONDON, July 27 (Reuters) – There have been more than 18,000 cases of monkeypox reported globally from 78 countries, with the majority in Europe, the World Health Organization said”
“Monkeypox is in the process of being renamed, to avoid the name being “weaponised” or used in a racist way, WHO emergencies director Mike Ryan said” – Reuters
Reuters
“Around 10% of patients have been hospitalized in the current outbreak and five have died, all of them in Africa, the WHO said.
Monkeypox has been a globally neglected public health problem in parts of Africa for decades, but cases began to be reported outside countries where it is endemic in May.” – Reuters
“Stigma and discrimination can be as dangerous as any virus,” said WHO Director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
“In fact, the WHO emergency committee that had previously considered whether to issue such a declaration was unable to reach a consensus in part because of concerns about the risk of stigma, marginalization and discrimination against the communities hit hardest by the virus.”
NPR
” A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that 98% of people diagnosed with the virus between April and June in more than a dozen countries identify as gay or bisexual men, and the WHO says that 99% of U.S. cases are related to male-to-male sexual contact. That means that the public health systems can target their messaging and interventions to the specific communities most at risk. But it also carries the risk of stigmatizing those populations, while sowing complacency in others that could still be vulnerable. Infectious disease specialists told USA TODAY that anyone can be infected with monkeypox, and the disease is not limited to gay men. Monkeypox is not classified as a sexually transmitted infection either as it can spread various ways.”
NPR
Public health experts stress that monkeypox is relevant to everyone, since it can spread through skin-to-skin contact and potentially contaminated objects like clothing or towels. And viruses can infect anyone.” – NPR
“Right wing public figures, notably U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (GA), are sharing homophobic and potentially dangerous lies about the transmission of the monkeypox virus. These false narratives, which paint the LGBTQ+ community as child predators, put that community at significant risk. They are also easily debunked.” – Published: 08.05.2022Updated: 08.05.2022
Center on Extremism
Notable Nutjobs:
Update on MTG March 2023:
Marjorie Taylor Greene has sparked more controversy by selling T-shirts that claim the monkeypox virus is a hoax.
The right-wing lawmaker from Georgia is selling the T-shirts, which show three monkey emojis above the phrase ‘See no monkeypox, hear no monkeypox, speak no monkeypox’ for $34.
The Republicancongresswoman has claimed that the disease is a “scam” comparable to Covid-19.
“It’s not a threat to most of the population,” she said in a video last year. “People just have to laugh at it, mock it and reject it … It’s another scam.”
The Independent
USA Today ‘Fact Check’ Sources include:
- Associated Press, Aug. 3, Social posts push falsehood that monkeypox can only affect gay men
- Reuters, May 26, Fact Check-Monkeypox can be spread by anyone in close contact and is not a “gay disease” – contrary to posts online
- USA TODAY, July 27, Addressing myths about monkeypox: A look at symptoms, treatment and other common questions
- Dr. Richard Martinello, Aug. 5, Phone interview with USA TODAY
- Dr. Matthew Hamill, Aug. 5, Phone interview with USA TODAY
- Dr Marshall Glesby, Aug. 5, Email exchange with USA TODAY
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, July 29, Monkeypox: How it Spreads
- CNBC, July 27, WHO recommends gay and bisexual men limit sexual partners to reduce the spread of monkeypox
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Aug. 5, Epidemiologic and Clinical Characteristics of Monkeypox Cases — United States, May 17–July 22, 2022
- USA TODAY, July 16, Monkeypox is not a gay disease. But LGBTQ leaders say they need more help for gay men and everyone else
- USA TODAY, Aug. 4, Monkeypox is spreading through sex, but it’s not an STI. Why calling it one is a problem.
- CBS News, July 26, U.S. spots first monkeypox case in a pregnant woman as cases climb
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* Closing thoughts: Be kind, take care of yourselves and each other.
Until next time, Peace.
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In addition to our regular full length episodes, we have The Contrast Project Lounge ‘Bonus Rounds’ which are short micro-episodes, no longer than five minutes, intended to give brief snapshots of late breaking and current events.
