We Can Fight Monkeypox Without Hysteria or Homophobia
BERLIN — As I stayed home in late July, listening to the director general of the World Health Organization declare monkeypox a public health emergency of international concern, many of my friends were out celebrating Pride.
The decision to affirm an emergency about two months into a global outbreak was the right one. But it felt far too late. As an infectious disease reporter and a gay man, I’ve grown increasingly frustrated with the global public health response to monkeypox and the communication around it.
More than 25,000 cases have been confirmed so far in countries that had not been previously affected by the disease. Those infected are overwhelmingly found among gay men and our sexual networks.
Friends of mine from Madrid, Paris, São Paulo and just down the street have told me about their infections. They were in pain — monkeypox has been described as excruciating — scared, and had a lot of questions.
