In the last few days we have been receiving more and more questions about monkeypox. How do you deal with it? Will the festival take place at all?

We have been dealing with the topic for the last week and summarise the results briefly:

The disease currently affects almost exclusively men who have sex with men. With currently 1200 cases in Berlin, only 2 women have been reported so far.
The incubation period is 5 to 21 days. Fever, pain and swollen lymph nodes are the first signs. The fever can reach high temperatures over several days. After that, skin lesions may appear, which are concentrated on the face, palms and soles of the feet. The symptoms last two to four weeks and can often disappear on their own without treatment.

The summary according to the RKI (The Robert Koch Institute, a German federal government agency and research institute responsible for disease control and prevention) is that the disease is mild in most people and usually heals on its own. Severe courses are rare but possible, especially in children or people with a severely weakened immune system. According to the RKI, there is no risk to the health of the general population.

The German Aids Federation has prepared a small FAQ on monkeypox, which is available in German and English:

German
https://www.aidshilfe.de/affenpocken

English:
https://www.aidshilfe.de/Monkeypox

We quote from it: How is “monkeypox” transmitted?

“The main transmission route for MPX viruses (“monkeypox viruses”) is considered to be close and prolonged skin-to-skin contact (e.g. during cuddling or sex), especially contact with the skin lesions (rash, blisters, pustules, sores, scabs).

The fluid in the blisters and from the sores that appear after the blisters burst open is particularly contagious, as is the scab that forms over them.

Therefore, the virus is also transmissible through objects used during sex (e.g. sex toys) or through contact with contaminated textiles (for example, clothing, bed linen, towels).

In the current outbreak, the main ports of entry for the virus into the body are the mucous membranes involved in sex (anal region, penis, oral cavity).”

Objectively considered, these are similar transmission routes to those of the (sexually) transmitted diseases known to us – gonorrhoea, chlamydia, syphilis, hepatitis B+C , HPV, HIV, etc.
First of all, we would like to state that in more than 20 years of workshops, we have only heard twice that an STI may have been transmitted at one of our events. Maybe this is because we have done good prevention work?

Reasonable hygiene (including, of course, the use of condoms and gloves during certain sexual practices) greatly reduces the possible transmission of such diseases, including monkeypox. Of course, we will also apply our usual hygiene measures at our upcoming summer events. We have already asked all participants not to have any risky sex contacts from now on, to pay attention to their own bodies and to get checked by a doctor if they experience any suspicious symptoms. Furthermore, we will ask everyone to bring their own towel to avoid possible transmission through laundry.

Once again, it is a disease that is mainly transmitted during sex between men. Another gay disease is born. This, of course, is where our learned internal homophobia often comes into play. Now I’m not allowed to have sex. If my partner/friends/parents find out I have this disease, I am morally ruined. I have to punish myself now. I have to be extra careful. I am afraid of this new disease. I must not enjoy myself. Intimacy is dangerous. Etc etc. So if you have these thoughts, we advise you to read the statistics rationally – how great is the danger really? Is the disease really dangerous?
If you decide now that you don’t want to have close contact with gay men until you are vaccinated, then logically you should also have no more contact with gay men until there is an effective vaccination against hepatitis C, HIV, herpes, HPV, etc.
Do you really want that?

It is in your hands. You can act responsibly and protect yourself. As always, love will prevail and the visit of the monkey pox will at some point come to an end.