Two Hamilton city councilors have warned local public health officials about how they present new monkeypox data, saying it could stigmatize gay and bisexual men.
During a board of health meeting earlier this week, public health officials revealed that 10 cases of monkeypox have been reported in Hamilton. The first case was revealed early last month.
For context, the Public Health Agency of Canada has reported 1,008 cases of monkeypox across the country. Of these, 478 have been in Ontario.
Jordan Walker, Hamilton’s acting director of epidemiology, wellness and communicable disease control, said the 10 cases reported in the city were men and the average age of those infected was 36.
“The most common risk factors reported in cases so far include multiple sexual contacts in the past six months, same-sex sex, a new sexual contact in the past two months, and anonymous sex,” Walker said.
Stigma could put the LGBTQ community at risk
Ward 1 Coun. Maureen Wilson and Ward 3 Coun. Nrinder Nann had concerns about how the data was presented at the August 10 meeting.
Nann said she felt “uncomfortable” with the public health presentation.
“I know a lot of concern has been expressed in the community and globally at the moment about an overemphasis on the spread of monkeypox being placed in a sexualized context,” he said.
“Anyone is susceptible to it if they are in close physical contact with someone who is infected.”
Wilson said framing the monkeypox message “could put the LGBTQ community at risk moving forward,” and said “that’s exactly what happened in the 1980s,” referring to the crisis in HIV/AIDS
Public health officials provided an update on monkeypox during Wednesday’s town hall meeting. (Hamilton Public Health Services/Zoom)
During this time, HIV and AIDS were often associated only with gay men, causing people in LGBTQ communities across Canada to face discrimination, isolation and even violence in as HIV and AIDS spread.
“I would just like to express an asterisk of concern about the language we use to move this forward so that we don’t inadvertently repeat some of the risks and dangers that some members of our community put themselves in decades ago,” Wilson said. said
Tim McClemont, executive director of The AIDS Network, told CBC Hamilton he also had concerns.
The AIDS Network serves people in Hamilton, Halton, Haldimand, Norfolk and Brant and its many programs include men’s health services and the 2SLGBTQ+ community.
“Although the majority of cases reported in Canada in this outbreak are currently among gay and bisexual men, monkeypox is not unique to any one group or setting,” McClemont said.
Public health says it’s ‘a balancing act’
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the head of the World Health Organization, said in late July that stigma “can be as dangerous as any virus and can fuel the outbreak.”
At the same time, he urged gay and bisexual men to reduce their number of sexual partners or to reconsider having new sexual partners “for the time being”.
Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s director of public health, said last month that the outbreak Canada is experiencing can be stopped by using strategies that target the most vulnerable groups of people.
On Wednesday, Walker told Wilson and Nann that monkeypox is not a sexually transmitted infection, but noted that cases have spread within specific communities.
“It’s absolutely a balancing act… We don’t want to promote or encourage stigmatization in any of our responses, but we have to be aware of where the virus is being detected, where it’s being transmitted, and responding to that,” Walker. said
Dr. Bart Harvey, Hamilton’s assistant medical examiner, said monkeypox appears to be focused in some communities more than others “because of the activities of that community.”
“Even when you look at Ontario’s criteria for vaccine and preparedness, the criteria have been set somewhat to identify what we know so far about who is most at risk of becoming infected and those are eligible for the vaccine. [monkeypox] vaccines,” Harvey added.
Call for more access to vaccines
McClemont said The AIDS Network’s “immediate concern” is that vaccination appointments are full.
“We are working with our provincial ministry of health and local public health departments in the regions we serve to promote and support the provision of the vaccine in as many places as possible,” he said.
“We join the calls of many health care providers around the world, expressed recently at the International AIDS Conference in Montreal, to rapidly pool resources for vaccine and treatment for the entire community” , McClemont said.
Public Health runs a monkeypox vaccine clinic every Thursday in August at Lime Ridge Shopping Center in Hamilton.
Those who are eligible can book an appointment by calling 905-974-9848 option 7.