***Please note, we are not medical professionals. The following information has been assembled from a combination of linked sources and consultation with members of the medical community; it is designed to serve as a guide for those seeking further care and navigating their personal risk factors in regard to the current outbreak of monkeypox. Always consult your doctor about medical questions or concerns.***
The most current guidance from the professional medical community states that attending indoor events where attendees are partially clothed with a high likelihood of close intimate contact places individuals in a high risk category for the transmission of monkeypox.
Whether you have attended Fascination in the past or are considering attending for the first time, one will recognize that our event undoubtedly falls into this category.
As an organization, we operate from a perspective of harm reduction – we know, as history has shown our community, that abstinence-based approaches to curtail the spread of communicable diseases within our community have, by and large, proven to be an ineffective strategy. These approaches exacerbate the stigma and shame which drive high risk behavior underground, transmission rates higher and discourage individuals from implementing adequate prevention strategies and/or seeking out treatment.
This being said if you feel unwell or have ANY of the following symptoms:
-Fever
-Headache
-Muscle aches and backache
-Swollen lymph nodes
-Chills
-Exhaustion
-Respiratory symptoms (e.g. sore throat, nasal congestion, or cough)
-A rash that can look like pimples or blisters that appears on the face, inside the mouth, and on other parts of the body (e.g. hands, feet, chest, genitals, or anus).
-Anal/rectal pain or bleeding
PLEASE. STAY. HOME.
We love you and it is not your fault that you are sick. We want you to get better and we are doing our best to look out for the health of everyone in attendance. We will be here to welcome you back once you are feeling well again. Please take care of yourself.
It is with all of the above in mind that we have decided to host Fascination on 8/1 while making the following information and resources available for those who attend.
VACCINATION:
The medical community has identified vaccination as one of the strongest tools to reduce the spread of monkeypox amongst high-risk populations.
Despite this guidance, the monkeypox vaccine has been challenging to acquire for many people because appointments and supply are limited. However, new appointments are being added daily. The website linked below lists all of the locations in Massachusetts currently offering the vaccine along with contact details.
Keep in mind that although vaccines are being administered as a form of pre and post exposure prophylaxis, an individual is not considered to have reached full immunity until 2 weeks after their second shot. Shots are administered a minimum of 28 days apart; it is unclear if or when particular municipalities will offer individuals a second dose. You do not need insurance to receive the monkeypox vaccine.
More information regarding availability and eligibility here:
SYMPTOMS:
Symptoms of monkeypox include:
-Fever
-Headache
-Muscle aches and backache
-Swollen lymph nodes
-Chills
-Exhaustion
-Respiratory symptoms (e.g. sore throat, nasal congestion, or cough)
-A rash that can look like pimples or blisters that appears on the face, inside the mouth, and on other parts of the body (e.g. hands, feet, chest, genitals, or anus).
-Anal/rectal pain or bleeding
TESTING:
How do I get tested?
If you have insurance, the best way to seek out a test for monkeypox is to contact your primary care doctor. Urgent care facilities may also be able to provide testing, though the availability of testing varies from clinic to clinic. For those seeking health insurance, Fenway Health offers a sliding fee schedule and access to financial counselors who can help connect you to care. You can learn more about this program here:
Testing is currently extremely limited. Many providers are still learning about monkeypox and the availability of testing within the local medical community. If you are presenting symptomatic blisters/ legions and your healthcare provider is hesitant/ reluctant to test you or tells you that they are unable to test you, you should feel empowered to inform them that as of July 6th Labcorp has released a code for your doctor to order a monkeypox text like any other test. A link to more CDC information about the availability of that testing can be found here.
If your doctor is still reluctant or confused, you can provide them with the specific code and testing procedure here. Anecdotal accounts from community members have found that, currently, the only way to be tested is by swabbing an active legion and that it is not possible to test individuals who have been exposed but have not yet developed symptoms. We have not been able to confirm this detail with a medical professional and strongly encourage individuals to consult with their doctor for clarification.
When should I get tested?
You should seek out testing if you have had known contact with an infected person within 14 days (please reference the note about asymptomatic individuals above) and/or if you notice any combination of the following symptoms:
-Fever
-Headache
-Muscle aches and backache
-Swollen lymph nodes
-Chills
-Exhaustion
-Respiratory symptoms (e.g. sore throat, nasal congestion, or cough)
-A rash that can look like pimples or blisters that appears on the face, inside the mouth, and on other parts of the body (e.g. hands, feet, chest, genitals, or anus).
-Anal/rectal pain or bleeding
TREATMENT:
If you have received a positive monkeypox diagnosis and your symptoms are moderate to severe, the first step to accessing treatment is to contact your doctor. If you do not have health insurance, please see the above steps about getting connected to care.
More information from the Boston Public Health Commission regarding treatment can be found here:
If you are immunocompromised and/or experiencing debilitatingly severe symptoms, you may be able to access TPOXX in partnership with your provider. If you are encountering hesitance or reluctance from a provider when seeking treatment, this document contains helpful information and advice on how to self advocate for appropriate care.
TRANSMISSION:
How is monkeypox transmitted?
-Skin-to-skin/skin-to-mouth contact with monkeypox rash, sores, or scabs (including sexual contact with an infected person)
-Indirect contact with objects that have touched the skin of a person with monkeypox (e.g. towels, clothing, linens, or sex toys)
-Prolonged face to face contact with respiratory droplets from a person with monkeypox
A person with monkeypox is considered infectious from the beginning of symptoms. They can stay that way until sores have crusted, scabbed over, fallen off, and a fresh layer of healthy skin has formed underneath. This can often take several weeks.
For more information on transmission, click here.
PREVENTION/ RISK ASSESSMENT/ HARM REDUCTION:
Highest Risk Factors:
-Individuals who have come in direct contact with the infectious rash, scabs or bodily fluids.
-Multiple sex partners or prolonged periods of extended skin to skin contact with multiple people over the last 2-21 days. (Please note that condoms do not protect against monkeypox infection.)
High Risk Factors:
-Kissing
-Cuddling
-Closely crowded indoor events with non-fully clothed people
Possible Risk Factors:
-Sharing drinks
-Sharing a bed, towels, or personal toiletry items
-Dancing at a crowded party inside with fully clothed people
What does that mean for Fascination?
At Fascination, we operate from the perspective of R.A.C.K (Risk Aware Consensual Kink). It is with this perspective in mind that we want to be extremely clear about the associated risks of attending Fascination this month. Some suggestions for ways to reduce your risk that are specific to our event are:
-Consider an outfit that exposes less skin. It’s never been a better time to dust off that gimp suit, break out that full leather kit, or lurk in the shadows with your levis and that sexy leather jacket – leave ‘em wanting more, sexy.
-We will have the AC cranked for those who choose to layer up on Monday.
-Masking: there has never been an event that has offered more creative masking options. ;-)
-We will have four sanitizing stations for you to clean those dirty mitts (or anything else that you managed to drag through the mud); ask for a pair of gloves if you feel like helping a friend get to those hard-to-reach places.
-While you are down there pig, help a kinkster out and let your buddy know if you notice anything that looks suspicious – we won’t chastise you for using your phone light this time ;-). Make skin checks sexy again.
-Interpersonal consent is always non-negotiable. Never touch another person unless you have received clear consent. This is always essential but even more so now given that monkeypox is primarily transmitted via skin-to-skin contact.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Helpful advice from social media’s “Butt Doctor”
Social media has been extremely valuable in helping get monkeypox news and information out to folks, whether it is firsthand accounts from individuals in quarantine or insight from medical professionals directly engaging the community. Renowned for his entertaining and educational content on “butt stuff”, gay gastroenterologist Carlton Thomas (aka Doctor Carlton) has recently shifted a lot of his energy towards addressing monkeypox by sharing care suggestions, vaccine information, prevention advice, and combatting stigma towards people with monkeypox. You can find Doctor Carlton’s posts on Instagram, TikTok and Twitter.
Monkeypox Support Group
For those who are having to isolate themselves as a result of monkeypox, there is a peer-to-peer support group via Zoom which was created by Jeff Galaise, a NYC resident who has boldly shared his ongoing experience on both Instagram and local news outlets. Rather than an info or therapy session, these meetings are more of an informal check-in for people to share their experiences and to know they are not alone. The group gathers daily at 6:00 PM EST – you can find the details to join the Zoom meeting here.
***Please note, we are not medical professionals. The above information has been assembled from a combination of linked sources and consultation with members of the medical community;it is designed to serve as a guide for those seeking further care and navigating their personal risk factors in regard to the current outbreak of monkeypox. Always consult your doctor about medical questions or concerns.***