Deborah Birx Praises 'Extraordinary' LGBTQ Community for Preventing Monkeypox Spread
Deborah Birx has praised the LGBTQ community for helping prevent the spread of monkeypox. The physician and diplomat told Newsweek the community is "extraordinary responsible" that the American public can trust to report new cases, despite the stigma surrounding the latest outbreak.Monkeypox is currently spreading throughout the globe, with current CDC data showing over 2,100 cases in 37 countries.
The U.S. currently has 99 confirmed cases.So far most—but not all—monekypox cases are among men who have sex with men.Monkeypox is not a sexually-transmitted disease.
It is mainly transmitted through close, direct contact, which easily explains why it may spread among sexual partners. However, the reason for a higher proportion being among men who have sex with men, is so far unclear, and scientists are working to understand more.Birx, who served as White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator in the Trump administration from 2020 to 2021, has extensive experience in battling pandemics.
She served as Director of CDC's Division of Global HIV/AIDS, having begun her career in 1985 researching HIV/AIDS vaccines for the Department of Defense.When the HIV/AIDS epidemic began, the stigma attached to it and the gay community is believed to have hindered the response to it.Discussing the latest monkeypox outbreak, Birx said the LGBTQ community will be the "strongest alert network" in preventing the spread."[The LGBT community] are extraordinary about communicating effectively the details," she said. [We need to say] to the American public, this is the first ring of introduction."Reporting initial cases of monkeypox as early as possible is key to preventing spread.
