Some Stis Are Beneficial, And May Have Boosted Evolutionary Promiscuity

[tboyer]

A little known sexually transmitted infection can boost the survival of patients infected with HIV—a more dangerous virus, researchers say. GB virus C (GBV-C) is the only known case of a potentially beneficial STI in humans. But it’s an example of a phenomenon that scientists are beginning to see elsewhere: STIs that are good for your health. What’s more, the health benefits of these helpful STIs could have given a boost to the evolution of promiscuity, scientists say. “There is a common perception that STIs are harmful,” says Chad Smith, an evolutionary ecologist at The University of Texas at Austin. But in a survey of the scientific literature, Smith and his colleague Ulrich Mueller found four documented cases of beneficial STIs in humans, aphids, mosquitoes and fungi.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/some-stis-are-beneficial-and-may-have-boosted-evolutionary-promiscuity/

[sweetbitch]

That's a first.

[disorder]

I think what is bein suggested here is that keeping your immune active is bennficial and could thwart infecton. Many professionals have researched high risk individulals and found that there immune systems can bascially handle all viral/bactirial infections on thier own..

 

Many also appose the use of frequent hand washing with certain types of soap as it can kill your body's response to fight infection

[rawfuckr]

There could be something to it. Things like HPV are so incredibly common that must have been with us for millions of years, and it's hard not to see some evolutionary interplay there.