01/06/2025
❗️❗️Preventing Stigma Against People with Blisters or MPOX-like Lesions❗️❗️
I just saw a male patient in his 60s who came to us covered in numerous fluid-filled blisters, a lot of which are ruptured, that had been present for over four months. He had tried to seek medical help, but no one would assist him in getting to a clinic. His own neighborhood had already labeled him as "infectious," assuming—without any medical evaluation—that he had monkeypox.
Worse, they didn’t just avoid him. They ostracized him. He told us he couldn’t even buy water from the nearby store because the owner refused to accept his money. He had been left dehydrated, hungry, and alone. The community even wanted him out of his own house—as if being sick was a crime.
If it weren’t for the compassion of one kind soul who reached out to our clinic, shared the patient’s story, and personally brought him in for evaluation, he might have died—not from disease, but from neglect.
Imagine if that were your father, your son, your brother. Would you want the world to treat him that way? And what if he had been wealthier—would your reaction be the same?
Illness is not a moral failing. Blisters do not mean monkeypox right away. Not every skin condition is contagious, and no one deserves to be dehumanized based on assumptions.
It's important to remember that stigma is harmful—not just emotionally, but also to public health. When it comes to mpox, we must be guided by facts, not fear.
Mpox can cause blisters or rashes, but it's not the only cause of these symptoms. Blisters on the skin can result from a wide range of conditions. Making assumptions about someone’s health based only on their appearance is not only unfair, but can also discourage people from seeking medical help or being honest about their symptoms.
We should never isolate, shame, or discriminate against anyone who has blisters or a skin condition. Isolation should be a decision made by medical professionals, not by fear or misinformation.
Instead, let’s focus on supporting one another with empathy. If someone is feeling unwell or has visible symptoms, encourage them to get checked by a healthcare provider. That’s how we protect both individuals and the wider community—with care, not judgment.
Fighting disease begins with fighting stigma. Let's be informed, kind, and responsible. 🤝
*Posted with patient's consent to share his story and pictures. 📸
◼️FYI, this patient has an autoimmune blistering condition called BULLOUS PEMPHIGOID. 👈
Bullous pemphigoid is the most common autoimmune blistering disorder affecting the deeper (subepidermal) layers of the skin, accounting for about 80% of such cases. It primarily affects older adults, typically those between the ages of 60 and 80.
It typically appears as tense fluid-filled blisters (bullae) on the skin, often accompanied by intense itching (pruritus). Despite its dramatic appearance, it is not contagious and can be managed with appropriate medical care.
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✨Proverbs 3:27 - "Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it."
✨Galatians 6:2 -"Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ."
✨Luke 6:31 - "And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them."
