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A Texas man diagnosed with monkeypox has shared a series of shocking selfies documenting how his painful symptoms developed.
Gay porn star Silver Steele posted a “timeline” composite image to his Instagram account on Aug. 4 — consisting of nine photos taken on different days — in order to highlight how horrific lesions changed shape and size on his face.
“My goal with this is not to gross anyone out — but to educate,” Steele captioned the queasy composite upload. “Not everyone displays symptoms the exact same way, but I’ve been told by more than one professional that my case is a ‘clinically perfect’ example and it’s being used in CDC demonstrations and medical journals.”
The Houston-based performer says he first noticed blisters breaking out on his chin on July 11, initially believing the bumps to be “razor burn”.
However, he soon realized he had contracted monkeypox when the lesions began to grow bigger and take on a yellowish tinge.
Stelle spent three weeks with the “agonizing” blisters on his chin, documenting how they became larger day by day.
The composite shows the lesions were at their worst about 11 days after they first surfaced on his skin. It also shows that it took more than 3 weeks for the symptoms to completely subside.
Monkeypox was declared a public health emergency in the United States earlier this month. after it spread across the country following an outbreak in Europe this spring.
At present, the virus is primarily impacting gay and bisexual men, who account for about 98% of patients, according to NYU biologist Joseph Osmundson.
In the comments section of his post, Steele revealed the pain was so bad at peak of his monkeypox battle that he was prescribed Vicodin. He also added that he attempted to do contact tracing, but still isn’t sure exactly when or from whom he contracted the virus.
“These lesions can be very painful, others have them on their genitals, or anorectal area, making going to the bathroom excruciating,” he further explained. If you know someone suffering from this, reach out and check on them because they may be feeling really alone. A kind word goes a long way.”
The actor added: “This is a droplet virus so it spreads by kissing, sharing drinks, or even touching someone who has lesions/blisters on their skin! Use lots of hand sanitizer, wave hello instead of hugs and kisses, and be cautious at crowded events, especially ones where people are sweating!”
Porn fans praised the “brave” star for going public, with one stating: “So proud of you for sharing this vulnerable experience. I’m glad you are on the mend! You’ve done amazing work spreading the word and educating people.”
Steele has since been cleared of the virus, and hopes to have minimal scarring left on his face. He has since received a monkeypox vaccine, and is encouraging other gay and bisexual men to do so as well.
Health agencies in the US have counted at least 11,700 cases of suspected monkeypox — with another 1,000 cases expected to be added next week, according to epidemiological forecasters. Among the nation’s illness epicenters, New York City is battling more than 2,295 cases following an outbreak in June.
At the same time, the World Health Organization is reporting over 36,000 cases of the disease.
Exactly how and why the once “rare and unusual” virus has cropped up, and subsequently spread across continents, remains a mystery.
Dr. John Whyte, chief medical officer of WebMD, told The Post that doctors “are still learning about it,” but reassured patients of their worst fears. “We haven’t known [the current outbreak] to be fatal. And that’s a good thing,” Whyte said.