While most have been reported in Europe and North America, a handful of cases have also been reported in other parts of the world, where homosexuality is still a crime in many countries.
This kind of association between monkeypox and gay men will only serve to make life harder and more dangerous for LGBTQ+ people in countries where it’s still very risky to be openly gay.
When WHO mentioned that reports of monkeypox are being reported mainly in men who have sex with men, people started to believe that monkeypox is caused by homosexual individuals.
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Monkeypox is not only a risk for sexually-active people or males who have intercourse with other men. Anyone who comes into close personal touch with an infectious person is at risk.
There is much work to be done to move things in the right direction for LGBTQ+ people, but fears that it will be very difficult because most of the homophobic beliefs there are rooted in people’s minds.
Create Awareness To Avoid Stigma
More education needs to be done about these issues to bring awareness, but most importantly, religious leaders must stop inciting against gay people. They have a lot to do with why things are the way they are.
Apart from this, official guidance advises people who have contracted monkeypox to abstain from sex and to use a condom for eight weeks after the first infection. Anyone experiencing symptoms that could indicate monkeypox should seek medical attention as soon as possible.
Source: Medindia
