WHO dismisses 'hoax' that monkeypox linked to homosexuality; 'Anyone can be at risk'

World Health Organization (WHO) on Sunday rejected the homosexual bias towards the fast-spreading monkeypox disease that it declared a global health emergency saying that “anyone can get” the monkeypox virus, and not just gay men. The global health organization dismissed the myth that the virus that first spread across Europe in late April, and has now reached 75 countries, is a “gay disease”. WHO had earlier issued an advisory for gay men to limit their sexual activity, stressing that the monkeypox cases were reported in health clinics specific to the treatments of the LGBTQ+ communities. 

“It is important to note that the risk of monkeypox is not limited to men who have sex with men," WHO clarified in a statement, cautioning against any homophobic acts and linking the disease to the LGBTQ+ communities. 

"Anyone who has close contact with someone who is infectious is at risk," it furthermore reiterated. 

Monkeypox linked to LGBTQ+ communities 'a hoax': WHO

WHO advised that the monkeypox virus has also been identified in the gay communities, and that learning about monkeypox will help ensure that "as few people as possible are affected and that the outbreak can be stopped." WHO’s public health advisory earlier for the gay men to remain vigilant had stirred a hoax that could lead to LGBTQ communities being demonized. While the gays and men who have sex with men are also contracting monkeypox, WHO underscored that it does not imply that the risk of monkeypox is limited to them. 

US, currently, is the most infected country with a total of 3,500 of the world's 17,000 cases, followed by Spain that has registered an estimated 3,100 cases. The city of New York has the most cases in the world, and is now the epicenter of the US monkeypox visrus outbreak. The World Health Organization earlier last month declared monkeypox a "public health emergency of international concern" as it joins the COVID-19 and polio disease. India on August 1 recorded the first death from monkeypox. 

In accordance with the WHO advisory the symptoms associated with monkeypox include fever, severe headache, muscle aches, back pain, low energy, swollen lymph nodes, and skin rashes or lesions. The rash usually begins on the first or third day of the onset of fever. A patient of monkeypox may also develop lesions that may be flat or slightly raised, filled with clear or yellowish fluid, then crust over, dry up, and fall off. These lesions vary from being a  few to several thousand. "The rash tends to appear on the face, the palms of the hands, and the soles of the feet. They can also be found in the mouth, genitals, and eyes," WHO cautioned. 

While the symptoms of Monkeypox must go away on their own within a few weeks but, in between three and six percent of cases reported in countries where it is endemic, it can lead to medical complications and even death, said the WHO.