All things considered, monkeypox, which mainly affects men who have sex with men, may bring back bad memories of the emergence of AIDS in the 1980s. But more than the symptoms, which are rather minor, it It is the stigmatization of the gay community that worries.
Monkeypox (or “simian orthopoxvirus”) continues to spread in countries where this disease is not endemic, particularly in Europe and North America (see box below).
The majority of cases mainly concern men who have sex with men (MSM) – to the point that the Swiss Aid once morest AIDS launched at the end of May on the mandate of the Federal Office of Public Health (OFSP) a campaign explicitly addressing these people – and several associations, as well as UNAIDSfear a stigmatization of this community, reminiscent of that suffered by homosexuals at the time of the emergence of AIDS in the early 1980s. mild and heals spontaneously following two or three weeks.
Stigma with harmful effects
In its monkey pox awareness campaign, Swiss Aids Aid draws attention to this possible stigma. The umbrella association of regional organizations for the fight once morest AIDS insists in particular on the fact that it is not a homosexual disease as it has sometimes been labeled on social networks.
“From a medical point of view, there is no reason for monkeypox to be transmitted primarily during sex between two men. It is more likely that the virus was carried and transmitted by chance in contexts sex between men”, explains Angelo Barrile, family physician and member of the steering committee of Pink Crossthe umbrella association of gay organizations in Switzerland.
Everyone is concerned
Although the transmission of monkeypox occurs mainly through direct contact of one contaminated skin once morest another, it can also occur through the sharing of linen (clothing, sheets, towels, etc.).
Angelo Barrile therefore calls for caution so as not to repeat the mistakes of the past. “Since the advent of the coronavirus, everyone knows that those affected are not ‘guilty’ and that infectious diseases can affect anyone,” he adds. “If people who are possibly infected do not consult specialized medical personnel for fear of stigmatization, monkeypox can spread much more easily. This is to be avoided.”
Moreover, other vulnerable groups are also at risk, underlines a spokesperson for the FOPH. “There have been a few cases in children and in people who have compromised immune systems.”
>> Listen to the Point J episode on monkeypox:
Fabien Grenon
