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not only undermines its ability to reach out to the most vulnerable, including black and Latinx men, but also oversimplifies the lessons of the AIDS crisis, which has made clear the importance of fighting stigma. Advancing care for those in need.
"We don't want to stigmatize a sensitive situation, but if the message becomes too broad, no one will know who you are talking to. This is the real problem," he said. says Robert Fullilove. A professor of clinical social medicine at Columbia University Medical Center told CNN.
What early data show
Part of the problem According to Atlanta-based HIV doctor and researcher Melanie Thompson, talking obliquely about monkeypoxcan catch the virus You put too much emphasis on people and underestimate who thegets the virus.
Thompson emphasized the importance of communication to clarify exactly where the virus is. "It's about making sure those most affected by smallpox and other diseases get the services they need," she said. It spreads fear among the general public and diverts attention from the message that needs to be communicated to those at risk of monkeypox infection," he added. Obfuscation is more than just a distraction. It's alienating in another way, she said.
"Evidence shows that men who have sex with men are at greater risk than other populations and groups." he said. "So when we talk about sending a message, and more importantly, prescribing a vaccine, those efforts are 'why don't you get vaccinated?
value to emphasize.' Although experts say the vast majority of monkeypox cases appear to affect black men, it is not because they are black. Some people think that race is biologically active when race is used as a way to identify , and there must be something in brown skin that increases the chances of contracting monkeypox.” said Fullilove. "But it's not. What we're looking at is the dynamics of who's playing with whom and where."
Thompson also drew attention to the conversation.
"There is absolutely no racial prejudice against monkeypox," she said. "It has to do with structural racism and the nature and cultural practices of communities."
She said Georgia, for example, is still very segregated in terms of race and sexuality.
"This means that black people are more likely to have black sexual partners," Thompson explained. "And because they are such a small percentage of the population, they are more likely to come into contact with the virus." It should be. Because it gives you a more tangible sense of where the bulk of the infection is.
"AIDS activism has been more than just saying the right thing."
But that approach takes away the complicated times.
"AIDS activists did more than just say the right thing," he explained. "It was about providing care to those in need."
This is not a devaluation of the discreet message.
Thompson believes that monkeypox is highly stigmatized. She said doctors have heard from some patients that they were ashamed of having the virus. It's the fact that some health care providers don't want to see a doctor, she added. This means monkeypox patients have fewer places to seek treatment.
substances in people's lives. It's disconnected from reality," Royless said. “Unlike HIV and AIDS, monkeypox, if infected, has serious consequences for the body. This is dismany ways."