Health Warning in Ft. L.

[ellentonboy]

I'l just add this. I think Health Officials dropped the ball in spreading the word on both meningitis and hepatitis.  I noticed as early as 2018 that my local supermarket/pharmacy in Florida (and those who live here  know the one I am referring to) was advertising to get a hepatitis A shot.  I went to my doctor and mentioned this, and he informed me at that time that Hepatitis was at epidemic proportions (at least in Pinellas county, where I live).  I didn't see anything from the state of Florida or the CDC, so I took the test for all three forms of hepatitis to be on the safe side.

Warning:  The medication for Hep C is incredibly expensive.  If you test positive, you will be required to go back to the lab and have another blood test, as well as a urine test (think job application urinalysis).   What are they looking for?  Illegal "enhancements" as we say on this Forum.   Major health care companies can DENY you the very expensive medication if you show positive for crystal, coke, or worse.  Do you see where I am going with this?  In other words, if you think you are positive, make sure you have nothing in your system when you go back for the second blood test.  Medicare, United Health Care can and will deny you the medication.  That particular test is not automatically paid for by Medicare, you must have a clean result or they can bill you for the test itself.  They also will not pay one of the most popular meds, Mavyret, which goes for a lofty $13,000 for a four week treatment.  Most guys require eight weeks, and in some cases, twelve weeks.

I am disappointed in health care officials, but that is nothing new.  They were aware of at least the hepatitis situation back in 2017 or 2018, now we have meningitis, monkeypox, and always have been in danger of hepatitis.  Why is it always the gays, why?

[hntnhole]

24 minutes ago, ellentonboy said:

 Why is it always the gays, why?

1.  They envy us.  We're free of cultural constraints, and they're not.

2. They think they're "better" than us, when deep-down, those that actually think higher thoughts know they're not.

3.  They are afraid of us.  They sense that we're more "fully human" because we embrace the magnificent diversity of human existence, and they only want to limit it to themselves.  They fear our ability for compassion, since they often possess rather little of it.  They are jealous of our ability to willfully, joyfully engage in our natural sexual requirements, which they are not.

4.  Pitiful, isn't it.  Such a waste ..... 

[fskn]

@ellentonboy, I think much of the problem is due to local and state public health departments, health insurers, and health care providers.

For a post in a different thread a while back, I researched the years in which the Hepatitis B, Hepatitis A, and HPV vaccines were approved (and for HPV, the year when that vaccine became available to adults, and information about off-label prescribing, before then). All three vaccines had indeed been available for years!

The other day I looked up the meningitis vaccine and the year of the outbreak that led to a [local] recommendation that gay men receive that vaccine. Again, it was years ago!

Conscientious public health departments, insurers, and providers offer population-specific preventive care. Incompetent, underfunded or biased health departments, insurers and providers don't.

Much of what I've written about vaccinations for gay men was guided by my own vaccination history. I got the Hepatitis B, Hepatitis A, and HPV vaccines soon after each one became available, and the meningitis vaccine, the moment it was recommended for gay men. I had no difficulties, due to news of FDA approvals, San Francisco Department of Public Health guidance, an insurer known for preventive care (Kaiser Permanente — not perfect, by any means, but a good choice for me), and a health care provider skilled in serving gay men (i.e., Kaiser San Francisco instead of a suburban Kaiser facility with few gay patients).

What you mention about how [medically unnecessary, punitive] testing for "enhancements" interferes with access to [medically necessary] Hepatitis C treatment is the epitome of a health practice, protocol or policy that ignores the needs of a specific population, to the detriment of everyone's health. Gay men get and transmit Hepatitis C. Gay men use "enhancements". Only if we accept the reality of the latter can we treat the former.

(And well said, @hntnhole, about reasons why the health needs of the gay male population are often ignored.)

Thanks for alerting people! Honestly, I think it's worthy of a top-level post in the sexual health forum, to warn others. I don't use "enhancements" and would never have thought of that issue. The one thing I would not emphasize is the cost of Hepatitis C treatments. People self-exclude as soon as they hear that medical care might be expensive. In most cases, some kind of patient assistance program, insurance option, etc. would reduce or eliminate the cost. Because the landscape varies by state, insurance plan, and personal situation (employment, marriage, age, citizenship, etc.), the best advice is always: talk to a medical provider, public health agency, or social service provider if you are worried about cost.

Edited May 26, 2022 by fskn