Full Transcript for PRIDE x r/LGBT Reddit Talk: Monkeypox w/ Brian "PozRN" Thomas

so I 30 00:02:12.599 --> 00:02:16.599 have been building that following for a few years now and, Um, it 31 00:02:16.680 --> 00:02:23.240 really kind of turned into this kind of sexual health advocacy and kink positive and 32 00:02:23.319 --> 00:02:30.639 sex positive kind of platform. And then I got monkey POPs and I realized 33 00:02:30.639 --> 00:02:35.240 that I could really use this. Following that, I already had to make 34 00:02:35.360 --> 00:02:40.400 a big difference in, Um, you know, educating our community about this, 35 00:02:42.120 --> 00:02:46.439 this new outbreak of this of this illness, right that nobody really knew 36 00:02:46.479 --> 00:02:50.879 about. I was the third person in Maryland to be diagnosed with it. 37 00:02:51.000 --> 00:02:53.879 And even my like and I go to like an infectious disease clinic, right, 38 00:02:53.919 --> 00:02:59.039 like these are like doctors that should know, you know, all there 39 00:02:59.159 --> 00:03:01.719 is to know about infectious disease, including smallpots and monkey pots, and even 40 00:03:01.759 --> 00:03:06.919 they were like, Um, isolate for a week and or two weeks and, 41 00:03:07.000 --> 00:03:08.560 Um, we'll talk to you later, like they had no idea what 42 00:03:08.639 --> 00:03:13.240 to do, Um, and also like no one was talking about it, 43 00:03:13.319 --> 00:03:16.080 there was no information about it back then, uh, you know, and 44 00:03:16.080 --> 00:03:20.360 this is like six, seven weeks ago, Um, maybe eight weeks ago, 45 00:03:20.919 --> 00:03:23.360 was it? Anyway? Uh. Yeah, so I took to the 46 00:03:23.400 --> 00:03:30.240 Internet, like US millennials and Gen z ears do, and uh, and 47 00:03:30.319 --> 00:03:32.879 it kind of like blew up, and I'm really grateful that it did, 48 00:03:32.879 --> 00:03:38.360 because it's actually opened, Um, some doors from averageacy work that I have 49 00:03:38.479 --> 00:03:42.680 been kind of trying to open for a long time and that's really exciting and 50 00:03:42.719 --> 00:03:46.000 I feel like I really made a difference. Um, so I shared my 51 00:03:46.039 --> 00:03:50.159 whole monkey pocks experience. You're welcome to go check that out. Uh, 52 00:03:50.199 --> 00:03:53.879 it's on Tiktok. I have a whole playlist that you can watch all of 53 00:03:53.919 --> 00:03:58.520 the videos I've made related to monkey cocks. But, you know, I 54 00:03:58.560 --> 00:04:01.800 make lots and lots of other content. Um, it's personal blog. Follow 55 00:04:01.840 --> 00:04:04.879 me on my travel, nurse adventures and stuff like that. I'm a fairly 56 00:04:04.919 --> 00:04:10.000 new motorcyclist, so you can watch me ride my motorcycle around and wear lots 57 00:04:10.039 --> 00:04:14.439 of leather because that's hot and Um, and yeah, so I guess I 58 00:04:14.439 --> 00:04:19.680 should talk about my monkey pucks experience. So I remember hearing about monkey pox 59 00:04:19.959 --> 00:04:24.279 on, you know, national media, just, you know, like a 60 00:04:24.319 --> 00:04:29.040 small story about monkey pocks, and I remember thinking like, Oh, it's 61 00:04:29.079 --> 00:04:31.839 just another sensationalist story, it's just another thing that's going to kind of get 62 00:04:31.839 --> 00:04:35.160 blown out of proportion. It's not going to be a problem here in the 63 00:04:35.160 --> 00:04:40.319 states and it's definitely not gonna Happen to me. Um, like no way. 64 00:04:40.839 --> 00:04:46.759 And so I was wrong. Um, it's always like Oh, it's 65 00:04:46.759 --> 00:04:51.399 not going to happen to me. And right, right, exact exactly. 66 00:04:51.680 --> 00:04:55.079 and Um, I even made a video about this. I think we're in 67 00:04:55.160 --> 00:04:59.680 kind of like crisis exhaustion mode, you know, like ever since covid. 68 00:05:00.319 --> 00:05:03.199 You know, it really you know, took things to the extreme with covid 69 00:05:03.360 --> 00:05:08.399 and then we've had killer bees after that and we've had flooding and we've had 70 00:05:08.639 --> 00:05:12.319 the earthquakes and you know, like everything now is like, oh, it's 71 00:05:12.360 --> 00:05:15.439 just another thing, it's another like chapter at the end of the world, 72 00:05:15.920 --> 00:05:20.720 and I think we're just really exhausted and I know that I was, and 73 00:05:20.800 --> 00:05:25.959 so I took June off. I'm a travel nurse, so I can usually 74 00:05:25.959 --> 00:05:29.399 take off like a month in between Um contracts, and so I said, 75 00:05:29.439 --> 00:05:32.319 I'm going to have the best gay pride month ever. I'm gonna go all 76 00:05:32.399 --> 00:05:36.920 the gay pride, I'm gonna have all the sex, I'm gonna, you 77 00:05:36.959 --> 00:05:41.160 know, have all the fun. And I did. I had a great 78 00:05:41.199 --> 00:05:45.480 time. I went to several gay prides on the East Coast and, Um, 79 00:05:45.519 --> 00:05:46.720 the last one that I went to is I took a week trip to 80 00:05:46.759 --> 00:05:51.959 Fort Lauderdale and had blast, had such a great time. You know, 81 00:05:53.319 --> 00:05:58.560 I uh, frequent bathhouses and sleazy bars and, you know, had really 82 00:05:58.600 --> 00:06:01.519 just a great time with my boy UH. We got home, one of 83 00:06:01.519 --> 00:06:04.240 my boyfriends got covid as soon as he got home, so that was you 84 00:06:04.240 --> 00:06:08.879 know, we're already dealing with that. And then about a week after I 85 00:06:08.920 --> 00:06:13.839 got home, I came down with flew like symptoms and, you know, 86 00:06:13.920 --> 00:06:19.439 I had this pounding headache and a fever and chills and just extreme fatigue and 87 00:06:19.480 --> 00:06:24.680 we were trying to keep our distance from our boyfriend who had covid. But 88 00:06:24.759 --> 00:06:28.519 I was like, you gave me Covid, I can't believe this, and 89 00:06:28.560 --> 00:06:31.240 I took covid testing. It was negative, and that's when I

was kind 90 00:06:31.240 --> 00:06:35.879 of suspicious. And then I noticed these two bumps that were kind of like 91 00:06:36.040 --> 00:06:43.720 ingrown hairs on my buttocks, like and I was like that's weird and these 92 00:06:43.720 --> 00:06:47.480 are kind of Itchy, and then the next day I noticed a few more. 93 00:06:47.959 --> 00:06:54.920 And at that time there is an amazing creator on Tiktok. His name 94 00:06:55.040 --> 00:06:59.680 is that gay doctor. H is a really amazing uh and he had had 95 00:06:59.759 --> 00:07:03.600 money epox and he posted a video about it and his symptoms and his suitetions. 96 00:07:03.639 --> 00:07:08.240 And this is probably like three weeks before I had mine, and that 97 00:07:08.360 --> 00:07:13.519 is the only reason that I very quickly connected to dots and I connected. 98 00:07:13.560 --> 00:07:15.600 I called my provider and I said, Um, I think I had monkey 99 00:07:15.639 --> 00:07:19.040 pox, and they're like, oh, ha ha, that's really funny, 100 00:07:19.199 --> 00:07:21.600 and I was like no, really, and then they asked me to send 101 00:07:21.720 --> 00:07:27.600 pictures of these lesions, and so I sent them and they immediately lars like, 102 00:07:28.160 --> 00:07:30.480 you need to come into the clinic tomorrow to test you. Like they 103 00:07:30.519 --> 00:07:34.160 immediately took it seriously. So I went in, I got tested and this 104 00:07:34.240 --> 00:07:39.279 is when I made my first tiktok video about about monkey pox, because I 105 00:07:39.360 --> 00:07:43.839 usually take my followers to Um. I usually take my followers to my std 106 00:07:44.079 --> 00:07:47.639 screenings right like I am. There's several videos of me going to get tested 107 00:07:47.680 --> 00:07:50.920 for, you know, like Pant Pan, tested for S T I S. 108 00:07:51.279 --> 00:07:56.000 I have a video of me like getting treated for syphilis Um to try 109 00:07:56.000 --> 00:07:59.560 and de stigmatize those things, you know, so people feel comfortable like talking 110 00:07:59.600 --> 00:08:01.800 to their warners and going and getting tested and things like that. It shouldn't 111 00:08:01.839 --> 00:08:05.040 be something that you hide, it shouldn't be something that you're a shamed of, 112 00:08:05.240 --> 00:08:09.560 and so I thought the same thing about monkey pops. Little did I 113 00:08:09.680 --> 00:08:13.240 know that it was going to blow up, Um, and, you know, 114 00:08:13.279 --> 00:08:18.120 and I'm really glad that it did, because it really pushed, you 115 00:08:18.160 --> 00:08:22.480 know, this information to the population that needed to get it right. Like 116 00:08:22.519 --> 00:08:24.319 a lot of my followers are queer, L G B T Q, I 117 00:08:24.399 --> 00:08:30.920 a plus Um, and it really like that public health information started getting to 118 00:08:31.160 --> 00:08:35.440 this population, Um, which needed to you know, and that's the thing. 119 00:08:35.600 --> 00:08:39.200 I think a lot of generations, a lot of these are generation like 120 00:08:39.200 --> 00:08:43.200 millennials, Gen x like and, you know, Gen Z and Gen Y. 121 00:08:43.320 --> 00:08:46.879 I think we all are consuming public health information in a different way. 122 00:08:46.919 --> 00:08:48.559 We don't watch network news. You know, a lot of us, you 123 00:08:48.600 --> 00:08:54.159 know, we don't. We consume media through our phones, through our computers, 124 00:08:54.559 --> 00:08:58.200 through social networks and things like that. and Um, it's really important 125 00:08:58.240 --> 00:09:03.799 that we take public health information and we meet the consumers that need it where 126 00:09:03.879 --> 00:09:07.440 it is. So, yeah, so I started documenting my venture with Monkey 127 00:09:07.440 --> 00:09:11.120 poks and I'm a nurse, I do public health content, and so it 128 00:09:11.240 --> 00:09:15.759 just came very naturally that I did a lot of education about monkey pox, 129 00:09:16.279 --> 00:09:20.039 Um, and so, you know, for people who need a general overview 130 00:09:20.360 --> 00:09:24.240 what monkey pocks is, uh, monkey poks is a member of the orthopox 131 00:09:24.279 --> 00:09:28.320 family, which also has smallpox in a chicken pox is in a colpox. 132 00:09:28.320 --> 00:09:35.399 There's some other other viruses in the orthopox family, but monkey pocks was first 133 00:09:35.440 --> 00:09:39.120 discovered in the nineties, sixties, uh, and it was isolated in a 134 00:09:39.120 --> 00:09:43.039 group of monkeys as to be transported from Singapore to Denmark, and the first 135 00:09:43.120 --> 00:09:48.519 human case was in the seventies in a area in Africa. It is endemic 136 00:09:48.559 --> 00:09:56.639 to Africa and we have not seen an outbreak of this nature. Uh, 137 00:09:56.879 --> 00:10:01.480 this kind of Um, rapid community spread. It in its history right, 138 00:10:03.000 --> 00:10:07.240 and a lot of health professionals are kind of chalking up to that. You 139 00:10:07.279 --> 00:10:11.519 know, this virus just found its perfect community to spread right Um, and 140 00:10:11.679 --> 00:10:18.320 especially during the month of June when we are just, you know, going 141 00:10:18.320 --> 00:10:22.279 to events and being close and hugging and loving and sexing and having a good 142 00:10:22.320 --> 00:10:28.360 time, and it just really like was the perfect storm. So the virus 143 00:10:28.600 --> 00:10:35.639 causes some full body symptoms and then this like notable rash. Uh. It's 144 00:10:35.679 --> 00:10:39.720 mortality is very, very low, as we know. So far there's been, 145 00:10:39.759 --> 00:10:43.159 you know, a handful of mortalities nations or worldwide so far in this 146 00:10:43.240 --> 00:10:50.440 outbreak. Uh. So It presents and I'm going to list these symptoms in 147 00:10:50.440 --> 00:10:52.679 in an order, but you could have all of these symptoms, you could 148

00:10:52.679 --> 00:10:56.200 have none of these symptoms, you could have them in this order, you 149 00:10:56.200 --> 00:10:58.360 could have them all out of order. It's just it could be any of 150 00:10:58.360 --> 00:11:05.879 these right. So Um people experience headaches, chills, fever, fatigued uh, 151 00:11:07.120 --> 00:11:11.960 swollen lymph nodes, which is what sets it apart from smallpoxes that smallpox 152 00:11:13.039 --> 00:11:16.720 did not cause swollen lymph nodes, but monkey pox does, and Um and 153 00:11:16.759 --> 00:11:26.120 also this very distinguishable rash or pox. These pots go through stages of development. 154 00:11:26.399 --> 00:11:31.600 For the most part, they, you know, start as a for 155 00:11:31.720 --> 00:11:35.240 me it looked and felt like a bug bite, like a bad bug bite, 156 00:11:35.279 --> 00:11:39.240 and an Itch, and then it kind of starts to develop into a 157 00:11:39.480 --> 00:11:43.200 postable where it fills with fluid. That postable will open or it may scap 158 00:11:43.200 --> 00:11:48.879 over, and then that scab heels falls off and there should be healthy skin 159 00:11:48.919 --> 00:11:52.840 growing under that and that, after all of those heel that's when you're considered, 160 00:11:52.440 --> 00:12:01.080 UH, non infectious. This outbreak specifically has shown a preference for new 161 00:12:01.200 --> 00:12:07.639 coastal areas. So we are finding the most common areas that these legions are 162 00:12:07.679 --> 00:12:13.519 starting are in the genital area or the mouth. You know that there's still 163 00:12:13.679 --> 00:12:16.960 not a lot of pure viewed research for this because it's, you know, 164 00:12:18.039 --> 00:12:22.039 weren't living in real time, but they are finding that a lot of times 165 00:12:22.200 --> 00:12:26.480 the place where the first contact was is most likely when you're where your your 166 00:12:26.879 --> 00:12:33.200 legions will start or possibly be the worst Um. So I experienced really horrible 167 00:12:33.279 --> 00:12:39.480 anal rectal lesions that caused a lot of swelling, discomfort, anal bleeding. 168 00:12:41.120 --> 00:12:45.279 Um. You know just it was. It was not a good time, 169 00:12:45.840 --> 00:12:48.679 um, but you can have them. I remember that Um. You know, 170 00:12:48.960 --> 00:12:54.679 uh, for people who have penises that are uncircumcised, they are finding 171 00:12:54.759 --> 00:12:58.080 a lot that under the foreskin and it can cause a lot of swelling and 172 00:12:58.159 --> 00:13:03.759 difficulty in tracking the four skin. That's Um something that is we're finding to 173 00:13:03.799 --> 00:13:07.879 be very common. It can they can be in the EURESCRA, which is 174 00:13:07.000 --> 00:13:11.720 horrifying, Um, and then also in, you know, your vagina and 175 00:13:11.840 --> 00:13:16.960 in the mouth. The life of this virus is usually about two to four 176 00:13:18.000 --> 00:13:22.639 weeks and the amount

of time you isolate depends on the amount of time it 177 00:13:22.639 --> 00:13:26.519 takes your body to heal. And that's the general the General Concessus is it 178 00:13:26.559 --> 00:13:31.480 takes about two to four weeks. Some people can have a few pocks, 179 00:13:31.480 --> 00:13:35.000 some people can have hundreds and it really varies. I really thought I had 180 00:13:35.000 --> 00:13:39.679 a horrible I had a horrible Um experience. I thought I really had it 181 00:13:39.720 --> 00:13:43.840 pretty bad, but from my viewers and other people that are now sharing the 182 00:13:43.919 --> 00:13:46.960 experience, it can be much, much worse. I know a lot of 183 00:13:46.960 --> 00:13:50.480 people are experiencing a lot of lesions on their face. Um, I have 184 00:13:50.600 --> 00:13:56.679 experienced a little bit of scarring and yeah, so it's not fun, you 185 00:13:56.720 --> 00:14:03.120 know. And there are ways that you can uh prevent transmission and it's primarily 186 00:14:03.159 --> 00:14:09.960 transmitted through skin to skin, close, intimate contact. Specifically this outbreak, 187 00:14:11.200 --> 00:14:16.879 we are finding that basically almost all of the transmissions are happening through intimate skin 188 00:14:16.960 --> 00:14:24.639 the skin contact, whether that be penetrated sex or skin to skin close contact, 189 00:14:24.720 --> 00:14:28.159 cuddling. Um, that is how this is being spread. You know, 190 00:14:28.200 --> 00:14:31.600 it's we're really not finding that people are getting it on the bus or, 191 00:14:31.720 --> 00:14:35.399 you know, from hotel sheets or things like that. Um, it 192 00:14:35.639 --> 00:14:41.879 is tracking like a Um an s C. I really would that's the main 193 00:14:41.919 --> 00:14:46.360 mode of transmission right now. Um, so you know, you can curb 194 00:14:46.679 --> 00:14:50.120 your the spread and your risk of transmission. A lot of ways that you 195 00:14:50.159 --> 00:14:56.240 would avoid transmission of other S, S P I S. so, Um, 196 00:14:56.320 --> 00:15:00.279 yeah, you know, like I am a huge proponent of that's actual 197 00:15:00.279 --> 00:15:05.559 health looks different for everyone. So if you can get vaccinated, keep an 198 00:15:05.559 --> 00:15:09.120 eye out for you know, like I go from each extreme right. If 199 00:15:09.159 --> 00:15:13.679 if you could be absent, awesome great, but most people can't. Write 200 00:15:13.879 --> 00:15:20.200 Um, the obviously you are less or least likely to contract this vibrus if 201 00:15:20.200 --> 00:15:24.320 you're not having any close intimate contact with anyone. Um, but that's not 202 00:15:24.399 --> 00:15:28.039 possible for most people. So I like to kind of backtrack from there. 203 00:15:28.159 --> 00:15:31.000 You know, Um, the other ways that you can prevent transmission from that 204 00:15:31.240 --> 00:15:37.639 is, you know, have one to partners or have a small pod of 205 00:15:37.759 --> 00:15:43.720 sexual partners that you're in very close contact with and communicate with them about who 206 00:15:43.799 --> 00:15:46.879 they're having sex with. Uh. That's another, you know, hard reductive 207 00:15:46.919 --> 00:15:52.759 way you could reduce transmission. You could, you know, do online sex 208 00:15:52.879 --> 00:15:56.080 video, sex video calls, things like that to keep from having close skin 209 00:15:56.120 --> 00:16:00.440 and skin contact. Um, and then, you know, like if you 210 00:16:00.600 --> 00:16:04.279 are at clubs, bath houses, things like that. Um, if you're 211 00:16:04.320 --> 00:16:07.679 at a club and everybody's taking their shirts off, and everybody's sweating. You 212 00:16:07.720 --> 00:16:11.960 know, you could keep your shirt on if you, Um, if you 213 00:16:11.000 --> 00:16:15.159 wanted to think things like, little things like that, just could produce your 214 00:16:15.919 --> 00:16:21.200 your exposure. Uh, and you've got to use all your tools in your 215 00:16:21.200 --> 00:16:25.440 toolbox, right. Um. But you know, I think the way that 216 00:16:25.440 --> 00:16:32.120 we're really going to deal with this outbreak is to get our population vaccinated and 217 00:16:32.519 --> 00:16:40.159 have accessibility and equitability of testing and vaccinations, Um, for everyone who is 218 00:16:40.320 --> 00:16:45.759 at risk. And that is and has been our biggest challenge. Um, 219 00:16:45.960 --> 00:16:49.879 and I could talk forever. Could we actually explore that just a smission. 220 00:16:56.919 --> 00:17:00.679 I actually had a question about that in terms of the last time we spoke. 221 00:17:00.919 --> 00:17:03.519 Actually, I cannot remember if the national response, like, if it 222 00:17:03.680 --> 00:17:07.599 had been declared an emergency or not yet, but I know that it was 223 00:17:07.640 --> 00:17:11.079 bad. So I'm curious if you could paint an idea of kind of where 224 00:17:11.079 --> 00:17:17.359 we were and where we are today in terms of testing and vaccine availability. 225 00:17:17.519 --> 00:17:22.359 Yeah, yeah, so you know where we were. It was absolutely zero 226 00:17:22.440 --> 00:17:27.279 infrastructure to deal with this outbreak. Right, there was little to no guidance 227 00:17:27.400 --> 00:17:33.680 from a federal level for any kind of local health department to deal with this. 228 00:17:33.880 --> 00:17:41.079 Right. So every local area's health department and Public Health representatives had to 229 00:17:41.839 --> 00:17:47.119 come up on the fly how to deal with this like exponentially growing epidemic or, 230 00:17:47.200 --> 00:17:49.680 you know, outbreak. I don't think it's it's not technically classified as 231 00:17:49.680 --> 00:17:56.799 an epidemic yet, but so you know, the not only was testing really 232 00:17:56.799 --> 00:18:00.640 not widely available. Um, I was lucky enough to go. You know, 233 00:18:00.799 --> 00:18:03.960 live in

a city where there's a really like great hospital with really awesome 234 00:18:04.039 --> 00:18:08.799 infectious disease doctors and I got tested pretty quickly, but I know some cities 235 00:18:08.799 --> 00:18:11.920 that didn't even offer testing. I had followers that said that they needed to 236 00:18:12.000 --> 00:18:18.000 drive to a different state to get tested. Um, people being turned away 237 00:18:18.079 --> 00:18:22.960 from testing just because they were not part of an APP risk population. Uh 238 00:18:22.039 --> 00:18:27.559 and, and there was also no guidance from a federal level on who should 239 00:18:27.559 --> 00:18:32.279 be tested, who is at risk. Like it was just a scramble, 240 00:18:32.559 --> 00:18:37.799 right and then. Um, so there is a there is a vaccine and 241 00:18:37.880 --> 00:18:44.079 there is a treatment. Right. So, the vaccine that is approved by 242 00:18:44.079 --> 00:18:48.680 the FT as called Genios and it was approved by the FDA and two thousand 243 00:18:48.799 --> 00:18:53.880 nineteen for use of smallpox, but it has not been used for uh, 244 00:18:55.039 --> 00:19:00.440 monkey pocks before, and I think it's important for me to state that we 245 00:19:00.559 --> 00:19:07.519 do not have any data to support that this vaccination is effective for monkey pocks. 246 00:19:07.559 --> 00:19:11.400 We have all of the expectations that it will. It's in the same 247 00:19:11.440 --> 00:19:14.759 family, it acts the same as smallpox, that all of those things, 248 00:19:14.799 --> 00:19:18.599 but all of the data we have on this vaccination is for smallpox. It 249 00:19:18.720 --> 00:19:22.960 is not for monkey pocks or empos. So you know. That being said, 250 00:19:23.400 --> 00:19:26.920 uh, and then we don't have, we did not have and we 251 00:19:27.000 --> 00:19:33.200 still don't have, a quantity of it that is adequately serving the population that 252 00:19:33.400 --> 00:19:41.400 needs it. Um and the CDC and the federal government kind of dolled out 253 00:19:41.799 --> 00:19:48.440 portions or rations of these vaccinations to health departments in every local area and I 254 00:19:48.480 --> 00:19:56.000 don't know what kind of number game they used or played to determine which place 255 00:19:56.119 --> 00:20:00.359 got how many vaccinations, but you know, it's like some cities got thousands 256 00:20:00.359 --> 00:20:03.960 of vaccinations bought. You know, some cities got a couple of hundred, 257 00:20:03.519 --> 00:20:10.039 and then it was up to those cities to figure out how to make the 258 00:20:10.079 --> 00:20:14.759 most use of that limited resource and get the most vaccines to the people who 259 00:20:15.000 --> 00:20:18.319 to make the biggest difference, right. And so every single different place did 260 00:20:18.319 --> 00:20:22.160 it differently and it also meant that a lot of different places gave out these 261 00:20:22.440 --> 00:20:32.759 vaccines inequitably and Um used screening screening questions that were extremely stigmatizing. Yeah, 262 00:20:32.839 --> 00:20:37.480 it's it's just been a mess and I think after we talked they named Um 263 00:20:37.799 --> 00:20:42.759 Dmitri and is his name? Oh Gosh, I'm gonna uh if I can't 264 00:20:42.759 --> 00:20:47.119 remember his name. But so they named, you know, a chief of 265 00:20:47.279 --> 00:20:52.920 this on a federal level, of the Task Force that's supposed to be dealing 266 00:20:52.119 --> 00:21:00.680 with this outbreak. And we've seen some change, but overall it's still been 267 00:21:02.200 --> 00:21:10.440 a crowdsourced kind of effort where people like me, Dr Carlton from Tiktok, 268 00:21:10.519 --> 00:21:15.680 and other, you know, public health advocates and creators have really been at 269 00:21:15.680 --> 00:21:22.799 the forefront of creating databases and lists where people can get vaccinated. There's still 270 00:21:22.359 --> 00:21:29.319 is not a federal website where you can go to nationally, type in your 271 00:21:29.400 --> 00:21:33.240 zip code and find a vaccination or testing site here you there still isn't. 272 00:21:33.559 --> 00:21:38.160 The one that you can go to is um through AIDS united and, Oh 273 00:21:38.200 --> 00:21:41.759 Gosh, I will have that. I'll pull it up so that I have 274 00:21:41.839 --> 00:21:44.960 that website that I can list. But Um, you know, that's been 275 00:21:45.119 --> 00:21:48.920 it's great that we have these resources from our community and we have. You 276 00:21:48.920 --> 00:21:53.839 know, as we have seen in the past, we really can't depend on 277 00:21:55.519 --> 00:22:00.119 uh, the betteral government to take care of our community like ever and Um 278 00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:03.440 and, and we didn't this time. We immediately sprang into action. I 279 00:22:03.440 --> 00:22:08.160 think. I think as a whole our community is very well aware of this 280 00:22:08.519 --> 00:22:15.000 Um of this outbreak, very educated now because everyone in this room that is 281 00:22:15.279 --> 00:22:19.880 talking about it and posting about it and learning about it coming to these, 282 00:22:19.960 --> 00:22:25.240 you know, platforms to learn and listen to others that that have some knowledge 283 00:22:25.240 --> 00:22:27.839 to share. It's it's because of everybody here that we are really making a 284 00:22:27.839 --> 00:22:36.039 difference, Um, but it is extremely angering and upsetting that we still don't 285 00:22:36.119 --> 00:22:41.359 have any kind of infrastructure on that federal level to deal with this kind of 286 00:22:41.440 --> 00:22:45.839 speaking about the federal response, I was curious. I know, or at 287 00:22:45.920 --> 00:22:48.960 least I've heard, that the recommendation if you get monkey pocks is to stay 288 00:22:49.400 --> 00:22:52.759 home for the duration that you have monkey pocks, and that can be, 289 00:22:52.920 --> 00:22:56.759

like I think you said, two to four weeks. I know there's a 290 00:22:56.799 --> 00:23:00.599 lot of people are not really in a position where they can just take two 291 00:23:00.640 --> 00:23:03.640 to four weeks off of work right. So I don't. Has there been 292 00:23:03.640 --> 00:23:10.000 any federal response or even like community mutual aid response for dealing with all the 293 00:23:10.039 --> 00:23:12.720 people who either might get fired or just, you know, really be in 294 00:23:12.720 --> 00:23:17.720 a bad position having to do that? Yeah, so, Um, no, 295 00:23:18.039 --> 00:23:22.319 there has not. Um, I know of Um. I know that 296 00:23:22.400 --> 00:23:29.920 San Diego currently is working on passing some legislation that is going to give financial 297 00:23:29.920 --> 00:23:33.440 assistance to people who have monkeypox, to Um that are going to be out 298 00:23:33.440 --> 00:23:37.319 of work while they're isolating. Um. And I think it goes back to 299 00:23:37.759 --> 00:23:41.119 it. There has been, there is no movement on that national level and 300 00:23:41.160 --> 00:23:47.400 that federal level for something like that for this yet. So it's still up 301 00:23:47.440 --> 00:23:55.640 to local areas and advocates and activists to push their local governments, Um, 302 00:23:55.720 --> 00:24:00.000 to try to move legislation to make financial assistance for people who have monkey packs 303 00:24:00.000 --> 00:24:04.799 and need to isolate to make that available. And you know, that's I 304 00:24:04.839 --> 00:24:11.400 just spoke on a panel discussion with AIDS united this week and there was a 305 00:24:11.440 --> 00:24:17.160 fantastic speaker on activism and you know, it's we need to be active in 306 00:24:17.160 --> 00:24:21.279 our local area, our local state or local cities, Um, if we 307 00:24:21.599 --> 00:24:25.680 want something like that to happen, because it's not happening on a federal level 308 00:24:25.759 --> 00:24:29.400 and I don't see it happening anytime soon, but you can definitely make a 309 00:24:29.400 --> 00:24:33.880 difference on your local level. Um, I know that Dr Carlton is also 310 00:24:33.960 --> 00:24:37.720 a big creator on Tiktok and instagram and he actually is. Um, he's 311 00:24:37.759 --> 00:24:42.079 been really fantastic during this whole outbreak and, Um, he is one of 312 00:24:42.119 --> 00:24:48.839 the kind of leaders of that initiative in San Diego to get that financial assistance 313 00:24:48.359 --> 00:24:53.200 Um, available. So yeah, there is not. There's not on a 314 00:24:53.240 --> 00:24:57.000 federal level, but I really, I really hope that people feel, Um, 315 00:24:57.039 --> 00:25:02.079 motivated and mobilized to try to figure out how they can make that happen 316 00:25:02.079 --> 00:25:06.279 on their local level. Right. And as a quick question in general, 317 00:25:06.599 --> 00:25:08.640 because it's it's not most likely not going to happen on a

federal level, 318 00:25:10.599 --> 00:25:15.160 who would you suggest people contact to start that kind of an activism movement? 319 00:25:15.599 --> 00:25:21.599 Um, you know, this is not my expertise. Um, it is 320 00:25:21.640 --> 00:25:26.400 something that I am still learning on, is really how to make my public 321 00:25:26.440 --> 00:25:32.240 health efforts translate into actual action for the government. You know, I'm still 322 00:25:32.279 --> 00:25:34.440 working working through this. I think the best thing that you could probably do 323 00:25:34.920 --> 00:25:40.599 is contact your like local representatives, you know, like like state senators and 324 00:25:40.640 --> 00:25:44.200 things like that, because that's a level that you're gonna be able to get 325 00:25:44.279 --> 00:25:48.839 legislation passed on. Um. So if you can contact your area representatives in 326 00:25:49.039 --> 00:25:53.880 your state, Um, email, phone. Uh. Just asked like what 327 00:25:53.920 --> 00:25:59.039 are your plans for this? And also, I think, if I mean 328 00:25:59.359 --> 00:26:03.119 local health ments, are completely swamped right, if you email your local health 329 00:26:03.160 --> 00:26:06.359 department, you're not going to hear from them for three more weeks because they're 330 00:26:06.400 --> 00:26:11.359 just scrambling to catch up and deal with this Um without the resources that they 331 00:26:11.359 --> 00:26:15.599 need. Uh. But yeah, I think the probably the best thing that 332 00:26:15.640 --> 00:26:22.119 you could do is contact those local local representatives see if there are any other 333 00:26:22.519 --> 00:26:26.680 public health activism groups. I know a lot of like HIV act activism. 334 00:26:27.039 --> 00:26:33.640 Um is translating and is kind of like changing gears to help deal with UH 335 00:26:34.200 --> 00:26:41.680 MPOX. So if there is a local HIV AIDS organization in your area, 336 00:26:41.039 --> 00:26:47.079 you could also start there and contact them and see if they're doing anything in 337 00:26:47.160 --> 00:26:51.000 their area to kind of Um work on monkey pots and see if there's any 338 00:26:51.000 --> 00:26:55.119 way that you can help them. Donate those organizations if they're if they're if 339 00:26:55.119 --> 00:26:56.720 they're helping, if you if you have that money, and if you have 340 00:26:56.920 --> 00:27:00.519 the time or effort to tire from them, you could do that too. 341 00:27:00.839 --> 00:27:04.799 I think those are probably two good ways to start. Yeah, absolutely think 342 00:27:04.839 --> 00:27:10.519 I just wanted to get more authority behind my my I was gonna ask so, 343 00:27:10.640 --> 00:27:14.039 monkey pocks. UH, in and of itself, it tends to affect 344 00:27:14.119 --> 00:27:18.640 gay in more than other populations at this time, which is kind of like 345 00:27:18.240 --> 00:27:23.160 similar thing that happened with HIV AIDS, and I was wondering if you

noticed, 346 00:27:23.400 --> 00:27:27.759 like at least I've noticed, that it tends to have become politicized due 347 00:27:27.759 --> 00:27:33.480 to him and tending to be more liberal and whatnot. Do you see this 348 00:27:34.079 --> 00:27:40.640 becoming more, uh, politicized and affecting like vaccination rates, treatment rights, 349 00:27:40.680 --> 00:27:45.799 et center? You know, I think it would be unreasonable. I think 350 00:27:45.799 --> 00:27:52.039 that it wouldn't uh, you know, it's already in this kind of polarizing 351 00:27:52.359 --> 00:27:56.119 topic and it's already you know, that's so. This is actually so. 352 00:27:56.240 --> 00:28:00.519 I have my my kind of like mentor in HIV activism. His name is 353 00:28:00.559 --> 00:28:04.880 Marcus King and he he's a long term survivor. He's been he's been living 354 00:28:04.880 --> 00:28:11.920 with HIV for I think thirty five years and, Um, he there's this 355 00:28:11.039 --> 00:28:17.200 like going back and forth about, you know, at first we needed to 356 00:28:17.240 --> 00:28:21.039 get this message to Um, you know, the population that he was most 357 00:28:21.079 --> 00:28:23.920 effective, which is, you know, uh, men who have sex with 358 00:28:23.960 --> 00:28:29.279 men, gay, bisexual and Um, and also trans people who have sex 359 00:28:29.359 --> 00:28:32.440 with men. Those are the populations it's most affecting. Right so, like 360 00:28:32.680 --> 00:28:36.079 at first we're like yeah, target them, awesome, get the message out 361 00:28:36.599 --> 00:28:41.119 Um, and the media, you know, like is trying to like navigate 362 00:28:41.240 --> 00:28:45.279 this topic while still kind of like covering the community that it's that it's affecting, 363 00:28:45.359 --> 00:28:49.000 but also trying not to stigmatize them as best as they can. And 364 00:28:49.079 --> 00:28:53.720 now, like on a like on a national level, they've taken a completely 365 00:28:53.759 --> 00:28:57.799 opposite approach where, like the I think in the last two weeks, the 366 00:28:57.839 --> 00:29:06.039 CDC has removed almost all, all wording, all visuals regarding Um, our 367 00:29:06.079 --> 00:29:11.799 community, regarding Um, the gain, bisexual, MSM t s m community. 368 00:29:11.920 --> 00:29:14.759 So they like took all that out and put it in kind of in 369 00:29:14.759 --> 00:29:18.759 a like small box in the corner Um. And there's this kind of toss 370 00:29:18.839 --> 00:29:26.079 up. There's this argument between activists on, you know, should we continue 371 00:29:26.119 --> 00:29:32.000 to preach that like diseases don't discriminate and this can affect anyone, or do 372 00:29:32.039 --> 00:29:36.319 we need to, for activism reasons, be like no, we know who's 373 00:29:36.319 --> 00:29:41.039 who it's affecting. We know like that it is primarily only affecting these people 374 00:29:41.079 --> 00:29:45.559 and we need to help them and we need to do this, and the 375 00:29:45.640 --> 00:29:48.519 more that you remove them from the public eye or the more that you remove 376 00:29:48.640 --> 00:29:53.160 that from the UH, from the message, the more you're going to hurt 377 00:29:53.559 --> 00:29:57.880 the message. Yeah, so there is and I argue with my kind of 378 00:29:57.880 --> 00:30:03.920 like mentor all the time about this because, you know, I'm like, 379 00:30:03.279 --> 00:30:11.680 even though HIV predominantly affects the same community, Um, and also like disproportionately 380 00:30:11.680 --> 00:30:17.039 affects Um communities of color. Uh, you know, we are message is 381 00:30:17.119 --> 00:30:21.039 still that this isn't a gay disease. It can affect everyone, you know, 382 00:30:21.119 --> 00:30:26.839 like Uh. And why would we not continue that with empox? Because 383 00:30:26.839 --> 00:30:33.039 it stigmatizes anyone that isn't Um. So, yeah, great question. I 384 00:30:33.039 --> 00:30:37.640 hope I kind of answered it as though. I have kind of an add 385 00:30:37.680 --> 00:30:41.880 on to that question. One thing that I noticed, and unfortunately not too 386 00:30:41.960 --> 00:30:48.359 much, but just a handful of times, I saw politicians tweeting about children 387 00:30:48.400 --> 00:30:53.359 who got monkey pops because obviously it's not exclusively sexually. So I'm curious if 388 00:30:53.400 --> 00:30:57.279 you've thought about that or have any thoughts about that. I have so many 389 00:30:57.319 --> 00:31:02.799 thoughts about it. Um. Yeah, so just the other day on ABC 390 00:31:03.039 --> 00:31:06.400 there was a story about like, watch out because your dog can get monkey 391 00:31:06.400 --> 00:31:11.519 pocks. Like this is getting ridiculous, Um, you know, and right. 392 00:31:11.599 --> 00:31:18.160 So, we have dogs can get monkey pocks and it actually was a 393 00:31:18.200 --> 00:31:22.799 direction from my health department that I was not allowed to have like. So, 394 00:31:22.960 --> 00:31:26.640 I live with my like with two other people, my boyfriends and a 395 00:31:26.720 --> 00:31:30.599 dog, and so I had to isolate in my bedroom and, Um, 396 00:31:30.640 --> 00:31:34.079 I was told that I cannot have the dog in the bedroom because the dog 397 00:31:34.200 --> 00:31:40.000 will rub all on all of my stuff and could care contract the virus and 398 00:31:40.039 --> 00:31:42.519 spread it. Um, yeah, I know it isn't that crazy, but 399 00:31:42.720 --> 00:31:48.480 Um, yes, so the media has kind of taken a different turn where 400 00:31:48.519 --> 00:31:53.960 they're trying to cover the you know, I really think it comes to their 401 00:31:55.160 --> 00:32:01.279 sensationalizing this illness that is affecting our community. and Um, by saying, 402 00:32:01.319 --> 00:32:06.759 Oh, well, twelve children have contracted the virus and two dogs. Um, 403 00:32:06.839 --> 00:32:12.559 you know, they also aren't listening the thousands of

Gay, bisexual and 404 00:32:12.599 --> 00:32:19.200 Trans People that are dealing with it nationwide. So, you know, you 405 00:32:19.240 --> 00:32:24.599 can't win and I think that the Um, the further we get into this 406 00:32:24.759 --> 00:32:30.000 and the further that our community gets kind of pushed out of this message, 407 00:32:30.519 --> 00:32:36.680 the more we're going to Um have to deal with it on our own. 408 00:32:37.039 --> 00:32:43.400 You know, Um, when I already have had comments on my videos, 409 00:32:44.079 --> 00:32:46.039 Um, you know, like because I think a couple of weeks ago, 410 00:32:46.200 --> 00:32:51.440 like the first two children Um contracted it and there of course, you know, 411 00:32:51.519 --> 00:32:54.119 like I get a lot of comments and if my video finds its way 412 00:32:54.160 --> 00:32:58.359 to the wrong side of the tracks, Um, you know, people are 413 00:32:58.400 --> 00:33:00.440 like, well, you have to wonder why is children? Why are children 414 00:33:00.440 --> 00:33:07.079 getting it now if it's only gay men? Right, like insinuating exactly what 415 00:33:07.519 --> 00:33:12.079 the dots that you're connecting, right. And you know, the thing that 416 00:33:12.160 --> 00:33:15.519 I always really you know, like there's nothing that I'm going to be able 417 00:33:15.519 --> 00:33:19.279 to do, nothing that our community is going to be able to do to 418 00:33:20.160 --> 00:33:25.119 uh, you know, advocate and educate around those people. And those people 419 00:33:25.160 --> 00:33:30.440 are I always focus on, is this person or is this person educable? 420 00:33:30.640 --> 00:33:34.759 Right, like if you ask a question on my platform or you truly don't 421 00:33:34.759 --> 00:33:40.119 know or truly are just don't understand something that's stigmatizing or racist or transphobic or 422 00:33:40.160 --> 00:33:45.759 homophobic, or can I educate you? Are you educable that I can make 423 00:33:45.920 --> 00:33:52.119 some difference in taking my time to talk to you about that, and I 424 00:33:52.200 --> 00:33:59.039 know that it is my responsibility as a privileged person to do that right I 425 00:33:59.079 --> 00:34:02.240 have I have resources to do that. And when it comes to people like 426 00:34:02.319 --> 00:34:07.599 that, politicians that are saying, what is the Marjorie Green Taylor, you 427 00:34:07.599 --> 00:34:10.119 know, like, Oh, it's just gay sex parties and like stuff like 428 00:34:10.159 --> 00:34:15.000 that. Like these are people that are uneducable. These are people that, 429 00:34:15.039 --> 00:34:17.000 no matter what we say, no matter what we do, like, they're 430 00:34:17.039 --> 00:34:22.039 going to say and spout whatever they feel Um, and you know, and 431 00:34:22.079 --> 00:34:27.800 it's not worth my time. Um, I think trying to like control the 432 00:34:27.880 --> 00:34:37.159 message of the media is also impossible and Um, what I think is best 433 00:34:37.440 --> 00:34:42.239 is just to keep on speaking as loud as you can and hopefully you'll drown 434 00:34:42.280 --> 00:34:46.159 out those people that we're never going to be able to correct, quiet or 435 00:34:46.519 --> 00:34:59.239 educate. Thanks. Um. We also got one question from the audience a 436 00:34:59.239 --> 00:35:01.800 while ago that I just don't want to miss. Um. Can you get 437 00:35:01.800 --> 00:35:06.599 monkey pox more than once? Are you good once you get it? So 438 00:35:07.000 --> 00:35:10.480 Um, you should be good once you get it. So the chances of 439 00:35:10.519 --> 00:35:17.960 you getting monkey pox a second time after you've had an active infection is extremely, 440 00:35:19.039 --> 00:35:22.239 extremely low. It would be very similar to someone like it tracts, 441 00:35:22.280 --> 00:35:25.639 just like you know smallpox and chicken pox. Once you get it the first 442 00:35:25.679 --> 00:35:30.079 time, it's nearly impossible to get a second time. That's not to say 443 00:35:30.119 --> 00:35:37.599 that you can't. People that are immuno compromised, uh, could encounter a 444 00:35:37.639 --> 00:35:42.559 second infection. So they're definitely cappy ups to that. Someone who's like im 445 00:35:42.679 --> 00:35:45.000 you know, compromise. It gets the virus the first time, may not 446 00:35:45.280 --> 00:35:51.400 mount an actual immune response to create memory cells to fight that virus if it 447 00:35:51.440 --> 00:35:54.440 comes in contact again, which is what like a healthy immunity does. So 448 00:35:54.719 --> 00:35:59.719 you know. But yeah, if you are generally healthy person, that's not 449 00:35:59.800 --> 00:36:04.239 a compromise. It doesn't have some other Comorbidities, you can pretty much guarantee 450 00:36:04.239 --> 00:36:07.599 you won't get it at second time. We so this is a new outbreak 451 00:36:07.679 --> 00:36:10.840 right. This is a new new outbreak, a new strain. There's still 452 00:36:10.840 --> 00:36:14.719 a lot of data to be collected, a lot of research to be done, 453 00:36:15.039 --> 00:36:17.559 so I can't say that for sure, but if it tracks like other 454 00:36:17.760 --> 00:36:22.159 monkey pox outbreaks, other monkey pock strains and other, you know, portions 455 00:36:22.159 --> 00:36:25.840 of the orthopopox family. You should not expect to get it again. I 456 00:36:25.880 --> 00:36:30.519 think you can start setting questions from the audience while while I wait for people 457 00:36:30.559 --> 00:36:36.760 to raise their hands. Are Any comments? Is there anything uh, people 458 00:36:37.119 --> 00:36:39.760 should know about in terms of the vaccine, as in, like what should 459 00:36:39.760 --> 00:36:44.960 they look out for and like negative reactions? Yeah, yeah, so, 460 00:36:45.199 --> 00:36:50.079 Um, the vaccination comes, the genus, vaccination comes into doses. It 461 00:36:50.159 --> 00:36:54.480 comes UH. Then those doses

come four weeks apart. Uh, they have 462 00:36:54.599 --> 00:37:04.159 started a new initiative where the UH seen is normally given subcutaneously, which means 463 00:37:04.159 --> 00:37:06.920 in a layer of your fat. Right, it usually goes in the back 464 00:37:06.960 --> 00:37:10.000 of your arm, Um, which also makes it different from some vaccinations that 465 00:37:10.039 --> 00:37:14.639 you may have had before. Right, a lot of vaccinations are given instramuscular 466 00:37:14.800 --> 00:37:17.119 Lye. Uh. So that's like like the covid nineteen vaccination, a lot 467 00:37:17.159 --> 00:37:21.639 of other vaccinations. So that's why, Um, you can expect to have 468 00:37:22.000 --> 00:37:28.599 both from the subcutaneous and the subdermal rout uh, which is how they are 469 00:37:28.880 --> 00:37:31.440 giving it right now, because it's stretching the doses. And I'll touch on 470 00:37:31.480 --> 00:37:37.519 that in a moment um you can expect what's caught a wheal or wealth from 471 00:37:37.519 --> 00:37:43.360 this vaccination, and that is totally normal, and that Welt can last Um, 472 00:37:43.480 --> 00:37:45.800 up to a week to two weeks. Uh, it will be read, 473 00:37:46.000 --> 00:37:50.039 it will be tender, it may hurt a little, but that is 474 00:37:50.159 --> 00:37:55.440 totally normal. So don't Um be concerned that you're having like an allergic reaction 475 00:37:55.679 --> 00:38:00.320 or a bad reaction to it. That is exactly what is intent it to 476 00:38:00.440 --> 00:38:07.599 happen with a subcutaneous or subdermal vaccination. So other things that you might expect 477 00:38:07.920 --> 00:38:12.559 are things like, you know, flu, like symptoms, fatigue, all 478 00:38:12.599 --> 00:38:15.920 of those other normal things that you expect from a from a vaccine, which 479 00:38:16.000 --> 00:38:22.079 is your body's mounting a response, immune response, to that vaccine. So 480 00:38:22.360 --> 00:38:27.039 you can expect all of those things, Um. But yeah, most notably 481 00:38:27.079 --> 00:38:30.159 that makes this one different from something you might have had before is that. 482 00:38:30.280 --> 00:38:36.599 Well, so, the all of the research and the FDA appproval for this 483 00:38:36.679 --> 00:38:42.039 vaccination was in a subcutaneous route, which they were giving it originally like that, 484 00:38:42.159 --> 00:38:45.000 but because of limited resources, and this is a very source subject, 485 00:38:45.039 --> 00:38:51.159 because I hate that they are going to a so they made the switch to 486 00:38:51.480 --> 00:38:57.199 a subdermal route which requires less vaccine. Uh, so they can. They 487 00:38:57.199 --> 00:39:00.880 can spread out this one does vile to five doses. So they can dose 488 00:39:01.039 --> 00:39:07.880 more people with one vial than they could previously. But this does not we 489 00:39:07.920 --> 00:39:14.679 don't have any UM research evidence on how effective it will be.

According to 490 00:39:15.039 --> 00:39:21.320 all of our kind of like medical knowledge, we know that the subdermal route 491 00:39:21.679 --> 00:39:25.800 is going to mount an immune response compared to compared to like across the board, 492 00:39:25.920 --> 00:39:30.880 other vaccinations that are given this way and subcutaneous. So we know that 493 00:39:30.880 --> 00:39:35.679 that your body will mount an immune response to this different kind of route. 494 00:39:36.119 --> 00:39:40.840 Um, but we don't have actual evidence that it is effective for this. 495 00:39:42.039 --> 00:39:45.639 So I it's a source of subject with me. I don't know if I 496 00:39:45.679 --> 00:39:50.239 agree with it completely. It's thought to be UM amount the same immune response 497 00:39:50.280 --> 00:39:52.800 as a subcutaneous route and we're going to be able to vaccinate more people. 498 00:39:52.920 --> 00:39:58.440 So from a public health standpoint, trying to make the most difference with the 499 00:39:58.480 --> 00:40:01.920 most limited resources rate. But yeah, so a lot of people got their 500 00:40:02.000 --> 00:40:09.800 first subcutaneously and that are getting their second dose transdermally or subdermally and they are, 501 00:40:09.960 --> 00:40:15.000 like I said, four weeks apart. You have the most immune response 502 00:40:15.079 --> 00:40:17.960 after six weeks after your first one. Right. So, uh, you 503 00:40:17.960 --> 00:40:22.679 get your first vaccination, you wait four weeks, you get your second vaccination 504 00:40:22.679 --> 00:40:25.320 and you wait two weeks after that and then you are going to be the 505 00:40:25.360 --> 00:40:31.519 most immune after that six weeks. So if you get vaccinated and you want 506 00:40:31.559 --> 00:40:37.719 to go have a crazy, fun weekend, you should Um think about that 507 00:40:37.880 --> 00:40:42.199 and make sure that you're fully vaccinated. You're waiting the time period to have 508 00:40:42.519 --> 00:40:45.360 Um, make that vaccine at the most effective as it possibly can be, 509 00:40:45.880 --> 00:40:49.760 um, and if that's not possible, use all of the other things that 510 00:40:49.800 --> 00:40:53.639 I've listed Um to kind of produce your risk of transmission. Yeah, awesome, 511 00:40:53.960 --> 00:40:58.119 vaccines are important. So, yes, make sure to get vaccinated. 512 00:40:58.119 --> 00:41:01.960 That includes, for like nineteen Saturday, get them anti, get them anti 513 00:41:01.960 --> 00:41:05.760 body, Yadda, Yada, Yada, Yaddie's yeah, right, we want 514 00:41:05.800 --> 00:41:09.639 to be able to actually have a fun weekend, right. Um. Anyway, 515 00:41:09.679 --> 00:41:14.079 for the people I do invite to the stage, please keep your questions 516 00:41:14.119 --> 00:41:17.320 really the monkey parks story, I think, is your user name. Yeah, 517 00:41:17.440 --> 00:41:21.519 Collo Post. Of all, I want to say real quick thanks for 518 00:41:21.559 -->

00:41:24.159 having on this podcast. I have a question. This is do you know 519 00:41:24.199 --> 00:41:30.000 if it's is exclusive to like in the United States or not an American general 520 00:41:30.159 --> 00:41:35.159 or light Um. So the topic I've been talking about has been on the 521 00:41:35.239 --> 00:41:37.880 outbreak here in the United States, because it's what I'm most knowledgeable on. 522 00:41:38.480 --> 00:41:45.440 But the outbreak is very much worldwide. Uh, we're finding um most infections 523 00:41:45.599 --> 00:41:51.840 are in in Europe and the United States, but it is very much in 524 00:41:52.239 --> 00:41:57.400 Um many countries right now, worldwide. Um, I can look up some 525 00:41:57.519 --> 00:42:00.760 information for you actually, but yeah, I mean, you don't have to 526 00:42:00.920 --> 00:42:05.199 tell me what what country you're in. But yeah, it is worldwide. 527 00:42:05.360 --> 00:42:07.360 Like I said, it's mostly in Europe and the United States right now. 528 00:42:07.960 --> 00:42:13.599 Continues to grow. We have seen Um, as more public health information gets 529 00:42:13.679 --> 00:42:17.159 out about it, people are changing their behaviors, people are getting vaccinated, 530 00:42:17.480 --> 00:42:22.760 we are seeing a slow in in transmission and positive rates, which is really, 531 00:42:22.800 --> 00:42:25.920 really great and it means that what we're doing here, what we've been 532 00:42:27.000 --> 00:42:30.760 doing, is really making a difference. That's good to know. You know, 533 00:42:30.960 --> 00:42:36.280 going like vaccines from monkey POPs, but they make sure to get one 534 00:42:36.719 --> 00:42:39.239 just in case. You know, you can never know. Yeah, yeah, 535 00:42:39.400 --> 00:42:44.679 absolutely, and I know that. So the UM, the genus monkeypox 536 00:42:44.800 --> 00:42:49.760 vaccination is manufactured in the United States. And then also there are three manufacturing 537 00:42:50.039 --> 00:42:57.199 Um, manufacturing sites in Europe. That's where it was actually formulated in Europe, 538 00:42:57.280 --> 00:43:00.559 I think. Oh Gosh, I can't remember what country, but Um. 539 00:43:00.719 --> 00:43:02.679 So what we're going to be dealing with moving forward is that. Yeah, 540 00:43:02.840 --> 00:43:07.800 like, I know that the US has manufacturing plants and we're trying to 541 00:43:07.920 --> 00:43:10.639 make the best of our vaccinations here and Europe is trying to do the best 542 00:43:10.800 --> 00:43:15.920 with their vaccinations, but we're still going to have to deal with serious inequity 543 00:43:16.119 --> 00:43:21.840 of getting vaccinations too countries that do not have resources, Um, because I 544 00:43:21.960 --> 00:43:24.719 know that. I know for the fact that the vaccination is not available, 545 00:43:25.079 --> 00:43:30.079 um, in every country. Hopefully we make a movement on that and hopefully, 546 00:43:30.440 --> 00:43:34.159 uh, you can get vaccinated sometimes soon. Cool. So I was 547 00:43:34.239 --> 00:43:37.280 reading through some of the comments. Uh, a couple of good questions I 548 00:43:37.360 --> 00:43:45.079 saw was what's a good message for like social distancing or just in general being 549 00:43:45.239 --> 00:43:51.199 safe in terms of monkey box yeah, sure, Um. So originally at 550 00:43:51.239 --> 00:43:53.400 the beginning of this outbreak, right, we're like, we don't know a 551 00:43:53.480 --> 00:43:58.519 lot about this. We don't know exactly how transmissions are working. We knew 552 00:43:58.599 --> 00:44:06.719 that the outbreaks of Monkey pocks before really were isolated to families communities and was 553 00:44:06.840 --> 00:44:12.039 predominantly spread through, uh, like respiratory droplets. It was thought, Um, 554 00:44:12.320 --> 00:44:15.800 kind of like chicken pox, like a lot of families and households would 555 00:44:15.880 --> 00:44:21.960 get them. But this, uh, this outbreak is tracking very differently than 556 00:44:22.320 --> 00:44:29.320 once before. Its main mode of transmission is through intimate sexual contact, Um, 557 00:44:29.440 --> 00:44:32.320 and we are finding that, I can't say zero, but a very 558 00:44:32.519 --> 00:44:39.519 minimal amount transmissions are happening from just, you know, grazing up against someone, 559 00:44:39.960 --> 00:44:45.119 talking to someone. Respiratory droplets are really not the mode of transmission right 560 00:44:45.239 --> 00:44:51.679 now, Um, and and it hasn't been so as far as you know. 561 00:44:52.440 --> 00:44:54.239 You can mask in public. I think that's great. You know, 562 00:44:54.400 --> 00:44:58.880 there's still covid nineteen going around, Um, you know, and it gives 563 00:44:58.920 --> 00:45:02.000 you an extra barrier. Um. But I can tell you that you most 564 00:45:02.079 --> 00:45:07.599 likely you're not going to contract this from respiratory droplets. If you are most 565 00:45:07.679 --> 00:45:13.920 at risk if you are engaging in skin to skin, intimate contact with someone, 566 00:45:14.559 --> 00:45:19.719 Um. So ways that you can curb that is just like preventing I 567 00:45:19.760 --> 00:45:24.840 mean, this isn't primarily es sexually transmitted infection, but it is primarily being 568 00:45:25.440 --> 00:45:30.719 spread that way right now. So you can use all of the other ways 569 00:45:30.800 --> 00:45:37.159 that you hope responsibly Hashtag Co responsibly to prevent and watch after other S, 570 00:45:37.239 --> 00:45:38.960 t. i. s that you can, you know, try to prevent 571 00:45:39.519 --> 00:45:44.800 monkey pocks. So, Um, talk with your partners, uh, if 572 00:45:44.840 --> 00:45:50.159 you're sexually active, talk with your partners about who they are having intimate contact 573 00:45:50.280 --> 00:45:52.920 with. Have you been vaccinated for Monkey pocks? Do you know anybody that's 574 00:45:52.960 --> 00:45:55.960 had

it? Have you been exposed? Um, you know, open conversations 575 00:45:57.039 --> 00:46:00.920 like that if you're going to engage in intimate contact with someone is super important. 576 00:46:00.440 --> 00:46:06.880 Um, just to clarify, in this case, something like a condom, 577 00:46:07.079 --> 00:46:09.360 I'm assuming, wouldn't really help that much because it's mostly skin to skin 578 00:46:09.480 --> 00:46:14.480 contact, not like bodily fluids. Right, right, exactly. So, 579 00:46:14.800 --> 00:46:19.480 Um, you know, they have found uh, portions of the viral DNA 580 00:46:19.679 --> 00:46:23.679 in semen, but we're not finding that like transmissions are happening from the fluids. 581 00:46:24.280 --> 00:46:30.159 Transmissions are happening from the skin to skin contact and when you're engaging in 582 00:46:30.320 --> 00:46:36.239 intimate skin to skin contact those areas, you know, the virus finds its 583 00:46:36.280 --> 00:46:39.639 way into Mucosa. Right. So our skin is actually an amazing portion of 584 00:46:39.719 --> 00:46:45.800 our immune system. It's very protective, uh it when it comes to mucoastal 585 00:46:45.880 --> 00:46:49.960 areas, your anus, vagina, your wrethra, mouth, Um, all 586 00:46:50.039 --> 00:46:58.239 of those areas are very easy access for Um things like viruses, bacteria and 587 00:46:58.320 --> 00:47:04.239 fun guy. So when you're engaging in this intimate contact, that's really what 588 00:47:04.480 --> 00:47:07.480 it's doing. It is that you're engaging in the skin, the skin contact, 589 00:47:07.880 --> 00:47:13.000 and the viral copies are really finding the easiest mode of transmission, which 590 00:47:13.320 --> 00:47:17.559 is your naught events Gotcha. I mean early on people are very confused about 591 00:47:17.679 --> 00:47:23.400 how how it transmitted to hurt. Stories from like someone contact the contract that 592 00:47:23.840 --> 00:47:28.920 a plane too, you know, people being worried that it was airborne, 593 00:47:29.639 --> 00:47:32.440 and then it was evolving very fast, but it seems like in general it's 594 00:47:32.480 --> 00:47:37.360 something that that is pretty well known and how it's contracted. Yeah, yeah, 595 00:47:37.679 --> 00:47:40.519 I mean at first, and I think we were doing what we needed 596 00:47:40.559 --> 00:47:45.480 to do, which was being the most restrictive and the most protective. Right, 597 00:47:45.639 --> 00:47:49.239 like we don't know enough about this, so wear masks, you know, 598 00:47:49.360 --> 00:47:52.480 avoid public areas, avoid you know, like like stuff like that. 599 00:47:52.639 --> 00:47:57.599 But now, now we have much more data on how all of the transmissions 600 00:47:57.639 --> 00:48:02.599 are happening, we're finding that they are primarily being transmitted through intimate contact. 601 00:48:02.800 --> 00:48:07.360 And that's not to say that you can't get this. It is still possible 602 00:48:07.440 --> 00:48:09.679 for you to get this from using Um, you know, like towels and 603 00:48:09.800 --> 00:48:14.760 sheets from someone else who has it, you know, and close skin to 604 00:48:14.800 --> 00:48:19.400 skin contact. That is an intimate that the potential is still there, but 605 00:48:19.599 --> 00:48:23.400 we're finding that it's much lower. It's print out predominantly being spread through sex 606 00:48:23.960 --> 00:48:27.960 Um. But that's a message that we need to that we need to deliver 607 00:48:28.480 --> 00:48:31.519 together, because if we tell people like, Oh, it's only transmitted through 608 00:48:31.559 --> 00:48:37.039 sex Um, then say your partner has monkey pox, like and you get 609 00:48:37.079 --> 00:48:40.159 that message and you're going ahead and sleep in the same bed. Maybe you 610 00:48:40.159 --> 00:48:43.960 don't touch each other, but you sleep in the same bed, like it 611 00:48:44.000 --> 00:48:45.639 could still be all over the sheets. You can still get it that way. 612 00:48:46.280 --> 00:48:51.239 Um. So yeah, yeah, it's important that we deliver that that 613 00:48:51.400 --> 00:48:54.639 message cohesively, that we know that it's being spread through skin to skin intimate 614 00:48:54.719 --> 00:48:59.559 contact, but it is still very possible to get it through other kinds of 615 00:48:59.639 --> 00:49:04.199 skin, skin skin contact and contact with, you know, things that like 616 00:49:04.320 --> 00:49:07.840 towels and sheets of someone who has an active infection. I think I've answered 617 00:49:08.199 --> 00:49:13.000 the majority of questions that came up in the comments. Is there anything else 618 00:49:13.039 --> 00:49:16.119 you would like to leave us out on? Thank you so much for having 619 00:49:16.239 --> 00:49:19.760 me. Like I said, it's, you know, Um. It's a 620 00:49:19.800 --> 00:49:24.679 pleasure of being able to UH use my platform to educate and it's what I 621 00:49:24.800 --> 00:49:30.079 really find a lot of passionate. So I hope that comes across Um and 622 00:49:30.400 --> 00:49:35.440 uh, this has been really, really wonderful. I hope everybody learned something 623 00:49:35.559 --> 00:49:37.840 today. Uh. You can find me on Tiktok right. So I make 624 00:49:37.920 --> 00:49:42.239 lots of content. It's not all public health content. Sometimes it's just me 625 00:49:42.360 --> 00:49:45.679 having fun, Um, and I hope you enjoyed that stuff too. But 626 00:49:45.880 --> 00:49:50.880 you can find me at Pos d R N on Tiktok. I predominantly create 627 00:49:51.000 --> 00:49:53.079 on that platform and then I also have an Instagram, which is po z 628 00:49:53.320 --> 00:49:59.159 nurse Um, and you can also follow that. You can follow me here 629 00:49:59.280 --> 00:50:01.800 on Reddit. I have not been very active on reddit until now, but 630 00:50:02.039 --> 00:50:07.000 I think I will be now. Um. So, monkey pox vaccinations and 631 00:50:07.119 --> 00:50:12.159 POPs vaccinations so hot right now. Right you can go to Um, a 632 00:50:12.280 --> 00:50:16.159 website that has been built by building healthy online communities. It's a UH an 633 00:50:16.280 --> 00:50:22.199 organization and partnership with eight united they have created an mpox vaccination map where you 634 00:50:22.280 --> 00:50:28.480 can put in your Zip Code and find monkey POPs vaccinations and it's at m 635 00:50:28.800 --> 00:50:36.559 pox VACs map dot work. That's M P O x, the a x 636 00:50:37.440 --> 00:50:43.800 m AP DOT Org, and it is a crowdsourced website. So if you 637 00:50:44.000 --> 00:50:47.320 have information about vaccines in your area that you don't see on the website, 638 00:50:47.639 --> 00:50:51.480 it's up to us to update that and to keep it up to date, 639 00:50:51.519 --> 00:50:54.000 because we don't have something on that national level. So check that out, 640 00:50:54.599 --> 00:51:00.440 Um, and I just hope everybody hose responsibly make the best choices that are 641 00:51:00.519 --> 00:51:07.119 for you and remember that sexual health is your own show and it can be 642 00:51:07.559 --> 00:51:10.199 and look anyway you wanted to. And definitely, if you're looking for, 643 00:51:10.519 --> 00:51:15.679 you know, even more insight, listening to the podcast with Brian on pride 644 00:51:15.719 --> 00:51:19.679 and it's available everywhere. You can get your podcast, spotify, apple, 645 00:51:19.840 --> 00:51:22.400 wherever, and it was actually really great conversation. A little earlier in the 646 00:51:22.599 --> 00:51:27.159 monkey poks season, I suppose you could say, but this is the monkey 647 00:51:27.440 --> 00:51:30.599 that empoc season, empoc season. Thank you. Well, I was trying 648 00:51:30.639 --> 00:51:36.519 to get all the resources up in in the talk, somewhere in the comments 649 00:51:36.679 --> 00:51:39.440 and in general I was great having everyone here. Yeah, thank you so 650 00:51:39.559 --> 00:51:43.119 much for having me. I really appreciate it. This has been wonderful.