Health
Sexual health activist Greg Owen on the Twitter discourse about the outbreak and what has to happen next.
As a leading sexual health activist,Greg Owenhas fast become a trusted voice on all thingsMonkeypoxin the UK.
Ive been flooded with DMs over the past week, he tells me over Zoom.
25, there were2,432 confirmed casesin the UK, the majority of cases reported in London.
23, the World Health Organisation (WHO)declared the Monkeypox outbreakaPublic Health Emergency of International Concern.
The data also found that 95% of those infections had occurred through sexual activity.
Monkeypox has displayed the worst kind of global health inequalities, he continues.
Owen joined them on the frontlines.
These people are doing an amazing job, he tells me.
Theyve been the ones picking up the slack so far.
Many of us are working until midnight and over weekends trying to come up with solutions and effective messaging.
There is nothing homophobic about sharing epidemiological data.
It is not acceptable.
These were often the first indicators of imminent death.
Our community has not healed from that yet.
Queer folk are incredible caregivers when their peers, friends, chosen family, and lovers need them.
We are our own best defence right now.
Have the government acted quickly enough?
Has the Monkeypox public health messaging been clear?
With COVID-19, a vaccine was developed and delivered within a year.
We have to ask ourselves, why?
We need equitable access, where no one gets left behind.
Theres also a lack of any kind of accountability for the UKs response to the outbreak.
Were literally doing all the work here.
But we are not casino chips on the gambling table of public health.
Weve had to ask GBMSM to do all the heavy lifting.
We need to do our best to contain and eradicate this.
Not just for our health, but because of the wider implications.
People are currently required to isolate for 3 weeks if diagnosed, with zero financial support.
