We need to normalize talking about monkeypox, just as we’re trying with HIV/AIDS, in order to properly communicate, treat and prevent the illness, she said. Similarly, stigma and fear around an issue will make people not want to talk about it, Logie continued. “Why would anybody go get health care if they're not going to be treated well, or if they're going to be blamed for getting sick?” she said.
Logie said we have “decades of evidence” from HIV and other health issues that when people are stigmatized and shamed, they won’t seek health care. She also hosts “Everybody Hates Me,” a podcast on stigma. “It will drive folks away from accessing testing and treatment, which is exactly what we need to be happening right now.”Ĭarmen Logie is the Canada Research Chair in global health equity and social justice, and an associate professor of social work at the University of Toronto. “Shame is bad for our health, and stigma and discrimination will actually set us back,” Griffiths continued. “A lot of the reaction that I've seen has been concern about the way in which our community might be blamed or scapegoated,” Griffiths said. Griffiths remains optimistic that our society’s previous experiences with HIV/AIDS and COVID-19 will result in a response to monkeypox “driven by data, by science, with care and compassion for folks who are affected by the illness.”įor now, the GMSH is working closely with doctors and community organizations to “develop shared strategies” and to hear people’s concerns, Griffiths said. “We're saying pay attention to monkeypox, and sort of weave that into your practice, your strategies before, during and after Pride,” he said. With Pride Month around the corner, Griffiths said GMSH and other organizations are taking extra care getting the “right messages to the right people at the right time.” “But, at the same time, we do feel a sense of urgency and responsibility in our work to make the community aware of the current situation, which is changing daily,” he said. “We absolutely understand those concerns around stigmatization,” he said. Last Monday, UNAIDS, the branch of the United Nations dedicated to eradicating HIV/AIDS, called out some of the reporting around monkeypox for using language and imagery that “reinforce homophobic and racist stereotypes and exacerbate stigma.”ĭane Griffiths, director of the Gay Men’s Sexual Health Alliance (GMSH) in Ontario, was disheartened by the reporting but not surprised. Unfortunately, reporting and advisories on monkeypox from around the globe have seemed to blurred the line between perpetuating stigma in the name of public health. It’s a delicate balance, but Hoption Cann emphasized the need for clear, accurate messaging without veering into singling out or scapegoating people. Health Canada says the illness is “mild and self-limiting, with symptoms usually resolving within a few weeks.” Monkeypox symptoms include: lesions, a rash that usually starts on the face, swollen lymph nodes and flu-like fever, chills and headache. “If you know somebody that has those symptoms, you should check yourself out as well.” “The word has to get out to people at risk to look for signs and symptoms of monkeypox,” he said. “This is probably just the tip of the iceberg,” he continued, saying monkeypox may expand further into the general population with time.Ĭurrently, the disease is spreading through the gay community, Hoption Cann said, and men who have sex with men are at additional risk. But it could have spread to anybody,” Hoption Cann said. “This was a case of a gay man who happened to have it, so it spread within that community. Stephen Hoption Cann, a clinical professor at UBC’s School of Population & Public Health. The virus spreads through close physical or sexual contact, but that doesn’t mean it has a preference for gay men, said Dr. Now, with the first in-person Toronto Pride Festival in two years just days away, advocates stress it’s more important than ever to educate and fight against shame and scapegoating.Įxperts assert that monkeypox doesn’t distinguish between sexuality. With memories of how gay and bisexual men were treated at the height of the HIV/AIDS crisis still fresh in the minds of many, community members and experts are concerned history could repeat itself. In Canada and worldwide, monkeypox has popped up primarily - but not exclusively -among men who have sex with men. As Canada grapples with 26 confirmed monkeypox cases as of last Friday, one in Toronto and 25 in Quebec, the city’s LGBTQ2S+ community is on alert - and wary of any stigma the disease may bring.