Janay Tate

As a woman in the queer community we often feel like we are like an afterthought.

Brian De Los Santos 

We're keeping it real today, y'all. And we're talking monkeypox. (Music plays.)

Brian De Los Santos 

From LAist Studios, this is How to LA. I'm Brian De Los Santos. There's been so many updates to what's been going on with monkeypox. I know like for my friends and I, we've had to be on active mode-trying to decipher vaccinations, transmission, where we should hang out and places where we shouldn't hang out. That's why today, we help you navigate what to do if you live in LA. There are 1900 cases in LA County, and just this week the Public Health Department confirmed the first local death caused by the virus. That's pretty scary, but I should stress, so far in this outbreak deaths have been very, very rare, and transmission rates have actually been falling. Still, if you get sick, monkeypox can be super painful and leave permanent scars. To be clear, anyone can catch the disease. But the queer community has been especially impacted. So last month, I checked in with two of my friends Eric Pham-

Eric Pham

Hi Brian.

Brian De Los Santos 

-and JanayTate.

Janay Tate

Hi.

Brian De Los Santos 

They're both part of the queer community. So I wanted to see how they're feeling with this viral threat still out there. (Quick note before I go on the following conversation contain some graphic descriptions.) Okay. When we last spoke to Eric, he had just gotten his second shot.

Eric Pham

I just got my second dose today this morning actually, but it was different. They didn't on my forearms, the second shot. They kind of-it was similar to a TB shot. So it was like right underneath the skin and it looked like a little bump. We'll see if it gets sore like the first one did.

Brian De Los Santos 

But Janay a queer woman wasn't eligible.

Janay Tate

Mainly because I have ovaries, and we are considered low risk. I am concerned.

Brian De Los Santos 

Like I said earlier, the public health response on this virus has been changing pretty fast. And since we last talked, LA County has made sex workers and people with HIV eligible too. Janay says she doesn't qualify and feels like women have been excluded. But, she says she gets it because 97% of cases have been among men. For now, though, Janay is looking into getting the monkeypox vaccine elsewhere. (Music plays.)

Brian De Los Santos 

There's still a lot of disinformation going around. So, we're going to give you the 411. We pulled in LAist Senior Health Reporter Jackie Fortier.

Jackie Fortier 

Yeah, of course, I'm happy to help. So monkeypox primarily spread through direct contact with lesions, or respiratory secretions. Meaning breathing during like sustained close contact with someone who is sick. So it's not as infectious as COVID. But you can get monkeypox by like talking closely or like cuddling, kissing, hugging someone. More than 90% of monkeypox cases in the US are associated with recent male to male sexual contact. That's according to a CDC study. Scientists are still researching if the virus can spread when someone has no symptoms. So there really is a lot we don't know about spread.

Brian De Los Santos 

As we talked about, who has the most cases of monkeypox, you know, I want to talk to Janay and to Eric about: how do you-how does it make you feel? Because there's such a big focus on our community in this outbreak.

Janay Tate

As a woman in the queer community, we often feel that we are like an afterthought when they think of queer folks; it's always like the men, and as women we're kind of used to it. Like, we're always like a second thought, and as queer women, you're like the third-fourth-fifth thought, as someone who hangs out in queer-like spaces. I'm not like more cognizant of the monkeypox when I'm in queer spaces versus not queer spaces. At this point, I'm just living my life and looking for bumps. (Chuckles.)

Brian De Los Santos 

That's real Janay, I like what you said about you know being a woman in this space and then being a queer woman in this space is also another layer. Eric, have you done anything differently since you know the monkeypox is going around? I don't know are you staying away from certain events? Are you like saying no some invites? Girl, tell me the tea, what's going on?

Eric Pham

Yeah, I've I've definitely been more selective about what I'm doing when I go out. There was a time when all the lockdown of lockdown stuff lifted, and I was like I'm just gonna go wild out for a bit- that has definitely changed. I'm definitely being more selective about where I go and how I how I spend my nights out.

Brian De Los Santos 

Janay, how about you? Like, have you done anything differently? I mean, the other day, we were at like a Redline, I felt like it got crowded and you're like, can we move away from the crowd real quick? Because you're like, I don't know who who might have monkeypox, or, I mean, let's be real-it's Covid, still is out there.

Janay Tate

Yeah, it's kind of like I still want my six feet. I'm still going out, just don't touch me. (Chuckles.)

Brian De Los Santos 

Is there any, like tips that you heard Jackie, that you can give like, Janay and Eric? Be like, you know, this is this is what the doctor is saying right now to avoid or to do.

Jackie Fortier 

I guess, like, how worried should you be about monkeypox? It-honestly, it kind of depends on who you are, and what you do. I mean, you know, maybe limiting your number of sexual partners. But you know, public health overall has kind of shied away from giving any specific sex advice. And I think it's because they don't want to stigmatize it. And we know that more men who have sex with men are testing positive with monkeypox, and many of them have multiple partners. So if that's you, I mean, you should be concerned, you should definitely look into getting vaccinated, it's free. I mean, the number of women and children who have tested positive for monkeypox is small, but it's getting bigger. And I highly doubt that this outbreak will stay within the queer community forever.

Brian De Los Santos 

When this outbreak first took off in LA, monkeypox vaccines were scarce because only one company actually makes them. So last month, the federal government said health care providers could use smaller amounts of vaccine to make supplies last longer. Some people, me included, got a full first dose, and for a second dose, we'll get a fifth of that amount. That's what happened to Eric too.

Eric Pham

It was quick and painless. And the physician was mentioning that it was a fifth of the dose that I had previously. And for this clinic, I was lucky enough to have an appointment. I got the first shot and they automatically scheduled my follow up vaccination a month later.

Brian De Los Santos 

Yeah, I didn't get a follow up appointment right away. I think, I'm supposed to just go and say that, hey, I'm due for my second appointment.

Jackie Fortier 

Yeah, if you got your first dose through an LA County Department of Public Health site, you should be getting a text saying that you're eligible when 28 days have passed, because it is a two dose vaccine. And you're not considered vaccinated until two weeks after your second dose.

Eric Pham

Well, yeah, that last point that you had just brought up-it's not considered fully effective until you've had both?

Jackie Fortier 

Yeah, correct.

Brian De Los Santos 

All right. So I was misinformed, then.

Jackie Fortier 

Well, it's the amount of time. So when we're talking about it, it's to get your immune system primed. And that's why it's two doses. Your immune system isn't immediately like: "yeah, I'm ready to fight," you know, the monkey pox virus, if if it comes in contact with it, you know, the day after you get the first dose. I would like to point out, though, that-you know, federal officials are adamant that this smaller dose of the vaccine should not be considered like a partial dose, because it's able to produce a similar level of immunological response as the original method of administering the vaccine. But the evidence for that is pretty scant. There was only one study.

Eric Pham

Okay, so they're just running with it?

Jackie Fortier 

Yeah, they're just running away with it, because they want to get more people vaccinated, because this outbreak has just, I mean, it's just exploded in a way they never thought it was going to get this big.

Brian De Los Santos 

How do we as just normal people keep track of this situation? Like, when does it start raising the alarm for people in the health field?

Jackie Fortier 

I mean, with the outbreak being so new, I think people should be, you know, cognizant of that, and, you know, keeping it in mind, definitely; and maybe not having, you know, "high risk behaviors", as they like to call it in public health, which it-lets you know-anonymous sex; like, maybe lay off for a little while, especially until you get vaccinated. I mean, we do know quite a bit about who is getting sick, the average age in LA County is 35. And again, it's mainly among men who have sex with men. So, if you fall into those categories, I would definitely-just really be, you know, cognizant of that before-you-you know, go out-and hang out too much with other people. Like-I hate stigmatizing-I don't mean to at all-a group. It's just-I've talked with people who've had monkeypox. I mean, it can be extremely painful. I think it's great, though, that the number of people that have tried to get vaccinated. I mean, they've just been like banging down the doors of the STI clinics in LA County. People willing to wait in line to get vaccinated, which is fantastic.

Brian De Los Santos 

That was LAist Senior Health Reporter Jackie Fortier, and my friends Janay Tate and Eric Pham. All of Jackie's reporting can be found on LAist.com. (Music plays.) Okay, a few updates: This month Governor Newsom dedicated $41 million for monkeypox treatment, testing and vaccinations. If you're looking to get vaccinated, you can check the LA County Department of Public Health website to see if you're eligible. We'll have a link in our newsletter go subscribe at LAist.com/HowtoLA. Registration is no longer required to get a shot. This is How to LA, I'm Brian De Los Santos. We'll be back here next week, and enjoy your weekend. Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live. This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.