Instinct Magazine is one of the leading sources for gay male entertainment. We love posting about thirst traps, pop culture moments, new music, RuPaul’s Drag Race and everything in between. I literally penned an article about gay dolphins the other day. However, with such a large platform of readers, it also becomes our responsibility to educate whoever reads our website. And since a potential health concern is growing for gay and bisexual men, let’s get our dicks out of our hands for 30 seconds to learn about this major health risk. Let’s address the animal in the room: Monkeypox.
Monkeypox is nothing new, as it was first discovered among sick primates in 1958 at a research facility in Denmark. It wasn’t until 1970 that the virus turned zoonotic – the ability for the infection to transfer from animal to human – when a child was confirmed to have Monkeypox in the Democratic Republic of Congo. While random pop-ups of Monkeypox still occur due to illegal exotic pet trade, HIV Plus Magazine reports that the virus has mostly been isolated or contained.
That changed earlier this month when men in the UK began experiencing Monkeypox symptoms. As of this writing, the UK has 7 confirmed cases, the US has 1 confirmed case, Spain has 8 confirmed cases and Portugal has 20 confirmed cases. It is important to note that most of these cases occurred after trips to foreign countries. The man living in America recently traveled to Canada and one of the UK cases recently traveled to Nigeria. Of course, we can only assume that these countries will also start reporting confirmed virus infection in the coming days.
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ALWAYS be careful when choosing your sex partners. As if STIs and COVID weren’t enough to worry about, now we have this? Sources like India Tribune and State News are reporting that the majority of infected persons as of this writing are men who identity as gay or bisexual.
Dr. Susan Hopkins, the Chief Medical Adviser at the U.K. Health Security, told HIV Plus Magazine:
“The evidence suggests that there may be transmission of the Monkeypox virus in the community, spread by close contact. We are particularly urging men who are gay and bisexual to be aware of any unusual rashes or lesions and to contact a sexual health service without delay.”
Although the West African strain of Monkeypox, the one that is currently spreading across the globe, is noted as “mild” compared to the Central African strain, Monkeypox can still be fatal in 10% of victims. Monkeypox presents itself as the flu – fever, chills, headache, fatigue and swollen lymph nodes. However, after 2-3 days, lesions will develop on the mouth, face, palms of the hands and soles of the feet. The lesions can also travel to other parts of the body and can range from five to a thousand sores.
What should we do? Stay alert. Especially since we all know how easy it is to spread a virus after the last 2 years. It may only be a coincidence that Monkeypox is primarily being spread by the gay community right now, but that also means that we have the power to stop it in its tracks before others are infected with the virus. Speak with a healthcare official if you experience any of the symptoms mentioned above. We’re already “opening the gates of Hell with our homosexual lifestyle.” Let’s not be the reason society pegs us with the spread of Monkeypox, too.
Stay safe, y’all!
Sources: HIV Plus Magazine, India Tribune, State News, Boston News Leader
Goodness, be careful out there gays <3