Happy August!
Hi again! Hope you’re well!
I just got over the worst sinus infection I’ve ever had. As in, I had to take a couple of opiates I had that I literally didn’t touch during top surgery. Major suckage. I’m still working on catching up to emails, messages, etc., so thanks for bearing with me!
PS: Did you know it's Transgender History Month? Expect more on that in a few weeks.
Quick Notes
The American College of Rheumatology released their new guidelines on vaccination for rheumatic disease patients. I was one of two patients involved in the voting process (as well as many more interviewed and surveyed). It was super cool!
CDC Set to Ease COVID Guidance, Including for Schools which is a horrible idea as we’re in a major surge and will continue to be until people take this seriously again. For more on the current COVID-19 situation, check out People’s CDC. Here’s their latest weather report.
I’m abbreviating Monkeypox to MPX following calls from many folks in the Black and LGBTQ+ communities. This is due to the racism that the term monkeypox relies on as well as the ongoing labeling of mpx as a sexually transmitted infection. It is not one nor is it only affecting gay men (sighs in HIV/AIDS history). This also follows WHO guidance as they work to rename mpx officially.
What It's Actually Like to Have Monkeypox by James Factora
We Need To Talk About Monkeypox by Sam Ramsden
8 Common Questions About Monkeypox, Answered by Beth Ann Mayer
With monkeypox vaccine in high demand, NIH to test approaches to stretch supplies by Helen Branswell
A California Man’s ‘Painful and Terrifying’ Road to a Monkeypox Diagnosis by Jackie Fortier
The Far-Right Is Using Monkeypox to Peddle Anti-LGBTQ ‘Grooming’ Conspiracies by Tess Owen
How is MPX spread?
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Symptoms of MPX
Rash and/or sores that can resemble blisters or pimples
Fever
Headache
Back pain
Muscle pain
Swollen lymph nodes
Chills
Fatigue and exhaustion
If you are looking for information on accessing the monkeypox vaccine, check with your local health department. Doctor Carlton on Instagram also has various vaccination clinics listed in his IG story highlights.
Articles You Need to Read This Week
Long COVID Is More Common in Bisexual and Trans People. The Reasons Why Are Complicated by Miles Griffis
Will long COVID make us rethink disability? by Marie-Claire Seeley
Don’t Let the P in P Value Stand for Privilege by Heather Krause [h/t to Halley for sending this my way!]
Disability Pride Month 2022 Roundtable: Care, Celebrate, Collective, Fight by Katie Reilly and the Autostraddle team
Meta sued for violating patient privacy with data tracking tool by Nicole Wetsman
You Don't Have to Like Being Disabled to be Proud of It by Rachel Charlton-Dailey
Patients did DIY blood draws in a new vaccine study by Nicole Wetsman
Could Nearby Community Pharmacies Fill Patient Care Access Gaps? by Sarai Rodriguez
988 Has a Transparency Problem by Katie Way
The 9-8-8 Helpline Exists In An America Full Of Broken Systems — Of Course It’s Flawed by Molly Longman
When Mental Illness Leads to Dropped Charges, Patients Often Go Without Stabilizing Care by Katheryn Houghton
4 LGBTQ+ People Explain What Wrath Month Means to Them — All While Breaking Office Equipment by Quispe Lopez
Theo Germaine on the Queerness of Horror, the Alchemy of Time, and “They/Them” by Nicole Hall
“Harley Quinn” Season 3 Is Even Gayer and More Romantic! by Heather Hogan
A 74-Year-Old Man Will Go To Prison For More Than 2 Years After Threatening To Attack LGBTQ Groups And Pride Events [but it took EIGHT YEARS OF SHIT for this to happen] by David Mack
Say More Than Gay: How LGBTQ-Inclusive Education Can Save Lives by Sam Ames
How Florida Twisted Science to Deny Healthcare to Trans Kids by Sam Greenspan
Purity culture and its grip on social media by Emma Cieslik
Why Insurance Plans Must Cover Abortion by Cat Duffy
Kansas Votes to Protect Abortion Rights in the State Constitution by Teen Vogue
The 2022 Gender Census is currently open. This is for anyone who feels they don’t fit into the gender binary.
There is a ‘Rites of Passage Study’ that is currently open as well. My friend ink shares more about it here.
The International Kink Health Study is now live as well.
Pledge to take the 2022 US Trans Survey (which should be out in a few weeks!)
Thanks for reading! If you have feedback or anything you’d like to share, feel free to reach out to me on social media or by email (all linked here).
Love your face!
Grayson