Monkeypox message important to reduce stigma : NPR

An informational poster will be posted on July 17 at the Monkeypox Vaccination Site at the Bushwick Education Campus in Brooklyn.

Betancourt/AFP via Getty Images

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Betancourt/AFP via Getty Images

An informational poster will be posted on July 17 at the Monkeypox Vaccination Site at the Bushwick Education Campus in Brooklyn.

Betancourt/AFP via Getty Images

As places like San Francisco new york state declare outbreak of monkeypox public health emergency, there is a big problem. How to talk about viruses in the first place.

Monkeypox, also known as hMPXV, has spread across the United States since May. as of friday, 5,100 confirmed cases According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the virus causes symptoms similar to smallpox, including rashes, fevers and headaches. It is transmitted through close physical contact and rare fatal.

nevertheless can infect anyoneoutbreak appears It has had a significant impact on men who have sex with other men. without making early public health mistakes of the HIV/AIDS crisis when gay and bisexual men are stigmatized and discriminated against.

Dr. Joseph Lee, a professor of health education and health promotion at East Carolina University who studies public health messages, said:

“You have to involve the right people to reach the right community and say things in a way that resonates,” Lee told NPR. , because it is difficult to repair.”

Let’s be honest, experts say avoid over-emphasizing the risks of one group over another

Getting fixated on how the virus affects different populations can be counterproductive and unhelpful, Lee says.

On the one hand, people affected by imbalance tend to feel fatalistic and less likely to seek help, he added. believe me.

“We can recognize that there is a difference and that it is important to do it, but that doesn’t mean it has to be the emphasis or message of the campaign. It just indicates who the message needs to reach.” ‘ said Lee.

Over-emphasis can lead to speculation about why inequalities exist and reinvigorate harmful stereotypes.

So don’t overemphasize sex either

Monkeypox is not a sexually transmitted disease and sex is the only way the virus spreads. yet, Local public health officials are debating Whether to advise gay and bisexual men in particular to refrain from sex during the current outbreak.

Joaquín Carcaño, director of community organizing for the Latino Commission on AIDS, said the guidance would not only be ineffective, but could also pose more risks.

“We know abstinence education alone doesn’t work for pregnancy, so why take advantage of this?” he told NPR. “Gender denial would be to falsely characterize MPV, also known as monkeypox, as a sexually transmitted disease.

Carcaño, who works to debunk misinformation about the virus, is also concerned that overemphasis on sex could cause people to ignore public health guidance entirely. Instead, I recommend phrases like “limit physical encounters” and “limit intimate, long sessions.”

Tailor your message for different audiences

Dr. Tyler TerMeer, chief executive officer of the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, says the more spread a message is, the less likely it is to resonate with all audiences.

“It is very important to know who your audience is and craft a set of messages that are relevant and resonate.

Foundation published online health guide We’re hosting a leather and fetish street fair ahead of this weekend’s Up Your Alley festival. The leaflet provides specific advice on how to safely attend the event, including whether or not to wear latex, bondage to his performance, and social his distancing at parties.

TerMeer added that it was important to make sure the pamphlet was factual, while remaining relatable, gender-positive, and realistic to people’s reactions. He will continue to tailor messages to the event as needed.

remind people that there are positive steps to take

Experts pay attention to fear-based messages, especially when targeting communities that have historically been discriminated against.

While it is important to emphasize the seriousness of the virus, it is equally important to emphasize that testing and vaccines exist. In that sense, outbreaks are far more preventable and manageable than the HIV/AIDS crisis of the 1980s.

TerMeer told NPR he hoped that addressing how public health officials can effectively talk about the virus would allow them to focus on more pressing issues, such as reducing bureaucratic barriers to access to testing and treatment. Said there was

“The fact that alarm bells must be sounded to secure the necessary resources is unacceptable,” he said. “Many of us wonder if there could have been more urgency if it hadn’t affected communities that have long been marginalized.”