While monkeypox isn’t a virus that’s exclusively targeting the gay community, there’s no denying that it’s become a serious problem that’s affecting a rapidly growing number of queer men. Now, one of those affected, adult film newcomer and NakedSword Originals star Greg Riley, is taking to the Discretion Advised podcast to share the details of his experience with monkeypox, the intense pain it caused, and why the state of Maryland had to step in with hazmat suits.
“The first ten days are awful. If you can think of hell times 20, that’s what it was,” Greg told podcast hosts John Hill and Marc MacNamara.
Speaking alongside fellow guest and former Real Housewives of Dallas star Dr. Tiffany Moon, Greg says his experience with monkeypox started in late June/early July when he discovered a bump that he assumed was a pimple. A few days later, he began to notice something was wrong when he found himself with a “mild fever” and a new bump between his fingers. Greg says he then contacted a doctor who advised him to wait 24 hours before taking any further action.
@tiffanymoonmd Poor Greg has Monkeypox! #monkeypox #getwellsoon @Discretion Advised ♬ original sound – TiffanyMoonMD
“The next day on Thursday, I woke up with like ten more,” Greg recalled. “Then I had to have the state [of Maryland] come in with hazmat suits. They had to literally with a needle pop every single pox that I had to gain samples. It was painful.”
In total, Greg says he has 37 pox on his body along with severe anal lesions. The industry newcomer goes on to agree that the pain was the worst part of the experience and likened his anal lesions to having “five hemorrhoids at one time” and that it felt like “someone taking glass and cutting your insides and twisting it.”
@tiffanymoonmd How did Greg get #monkeypox ♬ original sound – TiffanyMoonMD
When talking about how he contacted monkeypox, Greg said that he doesn’t believe he got it from sexual contact. He says that his few sexual partners from that time period showed no symptoms and that he most likely got it from close contact from being in a crowd.
“I just want to clear up the misconception that it’s like a sexually transmitted disease because you don’t got to drop your pants to get monkeypox,” Tiffany chimed in. “You can be at a parade, hugging on someone, as long as they have an active, open lesions that can be transmitted to you, it doesn’t have to be sex.”
Anyone looking to hear about Greg’s full experience with monkeypox can stream this entire episode of Discretion Advised right now over on Apple, Spotify, and DiscAdPod.com. If you’re looking for more information on monkeypox or the vaccine, please visit the CDC website or try to contact your local LGBT center for more information.
I recently had an anal fissure and lidocaine saved my life!
It’s disingenuous to say that rubbing up against a bunch of half naked people at a parade or whatever event isn’t sexual contact. At the very least it’s pre-sexual
Why are the words “sex” and “sexually” beeped out???