“You spend a lot of money on ‘these people’ who are currently infecting each other, does it really bother you? “.
The words of Senator EELV Mélanie Vogel, addressed this Wednesday, July 27 to Health Minister François Braun, are harsh and chosen with precision. When questioning the government on the management of the monkeypox epidemic, she did not hesitate to use the homophobic expression of the Territorial Cohesion Minister Caroline Cayeux to designate people from the LGBTI + community, thus reminding them that at the moment it is them. most affected by the virus.
MSM first hit by monkeypox
After weeks of radio silence, have the public authorities finally taken the measure of what is at stake? As of July 26, 1,837 confirmed cases have been identified in France, according to Santé Publique France, including 781 from people residing in Île-de-France.
96% of cases are men who have sex with men (MSH). A quarter of them had had at least two sexual partners in the three weeks prior to the onset of symptoms.
However, since the first case identified in France at the end of May, LGBTI + associations were on a war footing to warn of the risk of spread. It took several testimonies of men infected with monkeypox, spread massively by the media, to convey the gravity and urgency of the situation.
Monkeypox is a rarely fatal disease. Some cases are mild, while other patients testify excruciating pain and very heavy psychological damage. An affected person must isolate himself for 21 days from the first symptoms.
Associations mobilized, a government finally reactive
July 8 the High Health Authority recommended that the government expand vaccination against monkeypox To the the people most at riskincluding men who have sex with men, trans people with multiple partners, and prostitutes.
A sign that the associations have finally been listened to?
“Okay but could do better”, slice with Madmoizelle Matthieu Gatipon-Bachette, spokesperson for Inter-LGBT. While welcoming the decision to reimburse screening announced this week, as well as the opening of vaccination centers, other points need to be improved: “What is the reality of mobilizable vaccine stocks? This is a question we ask ourselves! “. And to which the ministry has not yet given a clear answer, taking sides behind the secret defense.
In the last week of July, 42,000 doses have already been extracted.
For a full vaccination, people must have received two doses, 28 days apart. According to the Minister of Health, 250 thousand people have been identified as “at risk”.
While vaccination centers have been opened all over France, including a dedicated vaccinodrome in Paris, that remains largely insufficient, says the activist. “From the lifts I have, both in Paris and in the region, it is still difficult to find places”explains Matthieu Gatipon-Bachette.
Without the mobilization of LGBTI + and community health associations, the results would perhaps be even less satisfactory:
“It had to be the implementation of a vaccination extended to the target audience and its strategic use torn apart by public mobilization and patient angergays, TDS and frontline carers, who once again must become experts and prescribers rather than public authorities “deplores activist Gwen Fauchois, former vice president of Act Up-Paris, today in a forum for Publication.
It is no coincidence that Act Up-Paris is one of the most mobilized activist organizations on the subject, both for they are calling for concrete actions to stem the spread of the virusbut also to inform patients and carry out prevention in the most effective and relevant way, without judgments or stigma.
like a déjà vu
It’s about a epidemiological realityMSM with multiple partners is currently most affected: “The news reported the trauma of the AIDS years”notes Inter-LGBT in a press release.
“For this reason, most LGBTQI + associations have expressed fear of further stigmatization based on MSM’s sexual behaviors. Like HIV / AIDS, this virus (which is mainly transmitted through direct contact with the skin of an injured person, including during sexual intercourse) it is not a “gay disease” “.
” It reminds me of the start of the HIV pandemic “Says David, a witness quoted by France Bleu Alsace, who therefore chose to be vaccinated as a preventive measure. ” We didn’t talk much about it in the early 1980s. It was said that it was only a certain group of people, that there was no other concern. Eventually it exploded! I think it’s important to say that we shouldn’t let this all go by the wayside “.
For a true community health policy, we need a “mobilization of all actors”insists Matthieu Gatipon-Bachette, to be able to reach people who are sometimes far from traditional health circuits, such as prostitutes.
“We are a community that has experience in the fight against AIDS, I am concerned that health leaders are so slow to react”observes.
Faced with the increase in cases, concern remains among the associations: “A penny of savings has no place in public health”recalls Inter-LGBT which is asking for greater means in the prevention and treatment of the sick.
It is once again the vulnerable people who are affected in the first place. As with Covid-19, prostitutes find themselves without resources or see a drop in their income when they choose to cut down on their business as a preventative measure. Without financial compensation from the state, they find themselves in a precarious situation.
On 23 July the World Health Organization declared an international public health emergency. Because even abroad the situation is alarming: San Francisco and New York State are on health alert and the United States has reached 3,846 cases, surpassing Spain, which has had the highest number of cases in the world to date. . As of July 25, the UK had 2,367 confirmed cases.
“It is an illusion to believe he will be confined to MSM”warns Matthieu Gatipon-Bachette that he hopes after this “ignition delay”public authorities will go a step further. “It has to accelerate, because the epidemic will accelerate.”
The symptoms of monkeypox : fever, fatigue, headache, muscle aches, difficulty swallowing, swollen glands. These symptoms may precede a rash that develops into a flare-up and spreads to the face, all over the body, including the palms and soles of the feet, and mucous membranes.
Monkeypox is contagious from the very first symptoms. It is transmitted through prolonged contact between people, especially during sexual intercourse, but also by sharing laundry (clothing, etc.), bathroom utensils, dishes, sex toys, injection equipment. The disease lasts for two to three weeks.
Monkeypox is mild in most cases. However, care should be taken for children, pregnant women, and immunocompromised people, especially people living with HIV.
Photo credit: CDC via Unsplash
Source: Madmoizelle
Lloyd Grunewald is an author at “The Fashion Vibes”. He is a talented writer who focuses on bringing the latest entertainment-related news to his readers. With a deep understanding of the entertainment industry and a passion for writing, Lloyd delivers engaging articles that keep his readers informed and entertained.
