Getting monkeypox resources to LGBTQ men ... without stigmatizing them
WNYC News | Aug 2, 2022
Officials in New York city have declared the spread of monkeypox a public health emergency, calling the city the epicenter of the outbreak. Leaders in New Jersey are watching cases tick up too, with the total there approaching 200.
Monkeypox spreads through prolonged close contact, which can happen between anyone — but officials are focusing outreach and availability on the population affected most so far: LGBTQ men. That's because all viruses are opportunists and monkeypox has taken advantage of close, intimate contact in that community to spark outbreaks.
The situation creates a unique challenge: How do you target that outreach without stigmatizing the very people public health officials hope to help — groups who faced stigmas associated with other diseases before?
Christian Fuscarino, executive director of Garden State Equality, spoke with Sean Carlson on WNYC's All Things Considered about striking the balance.
