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The Analysis: Why You Shouldn't Find Out Who Is Most At Risk Of Monkeypox Infection

Washington (CNN)A version of this article appeared in CNN's Race Deconstructed newsletter.Sign up for free here to receive it in your inbox every week

The Biden administration will begin the monkeypox outbreak this month. declared. Public Health Emergency
Unwilling to replicate the homophobic stigma seen in the early AIDS crisis,some argue that it may be dangerous to define which groups are most at risk of monkeypox infection.

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.

Simply put, experts say we shouldn't sneak up on this problem. Instead, we should address this issue directly andkeep an eye on expanding access to care

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.

Let's take a look at a detailed breakdown of monkeypox case records released this month by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Anyone can get the virus, but the CDC's Analysis showed that 94% of cases were among men who had recently had sexual or intimate contact with another man. In addition, 54% of cases were black Americans and Latinos.
Early data from the Georgia Department of Public Health and the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services show a similar pattern. black man.

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.

Jim, historian of epidemics at Gettysburg University and author ofDiseases of Empire: How Colonialism, Slavery, and War Changed MedicineDownes echoes some of Thompson's sentiments:

"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.

Contribute to eliminating homosexual prejudice. Many people have a broad sense of how it worked in the context of the early AIDS epidemic. There is an awareness that it happened and a sense that we shouldn't do it again. All this happened in the context of right-wing attacks against LGBTQ rights, he added.
Royles said the ambitions of AIDS activists are vast.They stretched beyond the realm of the message

"AIDS activists did more than just say the right thing," he explained. "It was about providing care to those in need."

Consider the work of ACT UP (AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power), an organization to fight AIDS. On May 21, 1990, more than 1,000 protesters stormed the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Marylandwith their goal: to lobby NI for AIDS research and treatment. H.
In other words, activists faced with an inadequate government response to the epidemic took matters into their own hands. and fought for a more humane healthcare system. (In particular, thecontemporary queer community isdoing the same,addressing the state's underdeveloped efforts to combat monkeypox)

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.

Clearly, as CNN colleague Jacqueline Howard recently reported, the shameless message is so important that there is an ongoing debate over whether to call monkeypox a sexually transmitted disease.partially influencing the discussion.
Still, Royles' deeper point is important. As we continue to combat monkeypox,we must not lose sight of the fact that expanding access to treatment is a primary goal,

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."

or Joseph Osmundson, a clinical assistant professor of biology at New York University gaining access to medical care.As it aptly summed up the difficulty of the matter,``You can't message me about an infectious disease. }