Talking about gays, bi men and monkey pox? You must also start saying this

A leading monkeypox expert has spoken about the need to change the way we talk about who is affected by the outbreak in the Global North.

dr Chloe Orkin, who has been leading some of the world’s most important monkeypox research in recent months, has said we need to add the phrase “sexually active” when we’re talking about gay, bisexual and men having sex with men who are at risk of the virus.

“There’s a delicate balance in targeting a public health intervention at a high-risk group without stigmatizing them,” said Dr. Chloe Orkin vs What The Pox? podcast.

“It’s dangerous to say things like, ‘Anyone can get monkeypox, it’s not a gay disease, it’s not an African disease’ – because while that’s true, we also have to say, ‘But it happens in sexually active gay and bi male sexual networks.’

‘We have to keep saying ‘sexually active.’ It doesn’t happen in the gay male community; it happens in the sexually active gay male community.”

“We must provide public health measures for the highest-risk community.”

In summary, Orkin advocates adding the words “sexually active” before “gay,” “bi,” and “queer men who have sex with men.” This allows us to strike the crucial balance of getting information about monkeypox to those who need it most, without stigmatizing the rest of the LGBTQ community.

dr Chloe Orkin also spoke about how she had experienced the same level of pain, hate and resentment towards the queer community — as she did with HIV. For this reason, she advocated a change in language so that we all don’t repeat the mistakes of previous outbreaks and pandemics.

Of course, doctors in Central and West Africa have been calling for help for some time. But now the outbreak is spreading between people in a variety of ways, including through sex, monkeypox is leaving some in the US financially ruined and others scared, alone and isolated.

Why we need to start talking about “sexually active” gay and bisexual men affected by monkeypox

Orkin is delivering this appeal as part of an incredible list of literally everything she’s learned about the virus while conducting world-leading extensive research over the past few months (Episode Two, 30:00″).

The suggestion from Dr. Chloe Orkin is a subtle but crucial change we can all make to help break the silence on this outbreak.

This is followed by media using emotionally charged language, such as “Super Spreader” gay pride events. While others have labeled Grindr sexual health advice as alarming “warnings” that are actually not that uncommon on the app. This in a mixture of misinformation and confusion surrounding the virus.

These headlines have left many in the LGBTQ community behind. They caused many of us, myself included, to protest, “It’s not a gay and bi man disease!”

Of course, the repetition of this myth, even in an attempt to dispel it, has further embedded this message.

Ineed, fellow sexual health experts tuned into the What The Pox? Podcast, an extensive series exploring the outbreak, also agree with Orkin. This protest alone is doing a massive disservice to those who need information about the virus.

It’s fair to say that the dense sexual networks, including those who went to big sex-on-site events like Darklands, have meant that monkeypox is the main concern (in the high 90 percentiles), at least in the UK sexually active gay and bi men.

For this reason, Orkin is interested in more people using this expression, sexually active. This makes it clear who is affected without stigmatizing an entire community.

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