US Gay Men Suffering from Monkeypox: Sharing Their Stories

A week following the declaration of monkeypox as a public health emergency in the US, gay men in the country have stepped forward to share their personal experiences.

Monkeypox was first detected in the US on 18 May in Massachusetts, and since then, over 10,000 cases have been reported across the country, with every state except Wyoming affected.

While the virus can affect anyone through direct contact with an infected person or surface, the majority of cases are among gay men.

On a private daily Zoom call, adult gay men who have contracted monkeypox have shared their frustrations about being turned away by healthcare professionals when seeking tests or treatment.

They offered advice on managing the increasing pain from new blisters, which renders them helpless.

Jeffrey Galaise, who hosts the Zoom meetings, described the experience as traumatic and life-changing.

“If you haven’t experienced it, you can’t comprehend the pain and the bureaucratic barriers to seeking help and support,” Galaise said.

Galaise, a 41-year-old from New York, fell ill on the day he was scheduled for vaccination.

Now on the 25th day of illness, he has endured nearly every symptom, including lesions, swollen lymph nodes, and prolonged high fever.

Galaise also expressed the scarcity of information on treating the virus once contracted.

“People are genuinely suffering, and there is a lack of guidance on what to do,” he lamented.

Silver Steele, a 42-year-old adult film actor from Texas, described his month-long struggle with monkeypox, which caused lesions around his mouth, leading to eating difficulties and a weight loss of 13 lbs (5.8 kg).

Apart from taking a scarce oral antiviral drug called Tpoxx, he mentioned that pain management is the only available option.

Despite his own hardships, Steele acknowledged hearing “horror stories” from fellow patients, including excruciating anal and penile lesions.

“Despite the disfigurement on my face, I am grateful that I didn’t experience anything lower,” he said.

“I am willing to endure the visible discomfort as long as I don’t have to endure that ordeal.”

US public health experts have not been able to explain why the monkeypox outbreak has predominantly affected gay and bisexual men. Many draw parallels between this and the feelings of abandonment within the gay community during the AIDS crisis of the 1970s and 80s.

“There are multiple heavy, deep-rooted issues that have been discussed during the Zoom sessions,” Galaise commented.

“People who lived through the AIDS era are suffering from PTSD, individuals are facing prolonged isolation spanning 25 to 30 days, and there’s stigma from their community,” he added.

Silver Steele, the adult entertainer, documented his illness daily on social media.

“Many people look at our situation and see it as ‘HIV part two,'” he revealed.

“The emergency declaration only came after some children tested positive,” he noted.

“It wasn’t an emergency when it was just affecting gay men.”