HIV has been wreaking havoc on humanity for decades, but some of its effects on the body are still being studied. This is the case of the behavior modification that this virus can cause, according to some studies
In this article we will explore this question to discover what type of behaviors it refers to, under what conditions this effect takes place and other important characteristics.
Although the human immunodeficiency virus was discovered in the early 80s of the 20th century, and enormous amounts of studies have been carried out on it, the truth is that in some areas it remains relatively unknown. One of the questions researchers are still trying to unravel is whether HIV can modify human behavior.
Before delving into that question, we must take a brief look at the implications of this virus in order to get our bearings. HIV seems to come from another virus, SIVcpz, which attacked some species of apes, such as chimpanzees. Somehow, this virus made the leap to the human species, giving rise to HIV, a relentless agent against man
HIV is transmitted mainly through fluids, so sexual contact quickly became the main source of infection, before enough was known to take measures to prevent the very rapid progression that this epidemic experienced in the decade of the 80s.
Before moving on to study whether HIV can modify human behavior, it is important to know that the main problem of this virus is that, in the long term, generally 10 years thanks to the pharmacological advances that have been made in this regard, it can cause the host the so-called acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, or AIDS.
Once this disease develops, The subject who suffers from it sees how his immune system progressively deteriorates until becoming extremely more prone to infections or other diseases, such as cancer. Under these conditions, the life expectancy of this person is significantly affected.
Although it is true that medications to slow down this effect are becoming more and more efficient, the truth is that a completely effective vaccine has not yet been developed to put an end to this terrible disease once and for all.
The influence of HIV on behavior
We asked at the beginning of the article if HIV can modify human behavior. According to some studies that we are going to see below, everything seems to indicate that yes, HIV has the ability to modify the host’s behavior in a very specific way.
Specifically, what the results of the latest research seem to affirm is that HIV would be altering the sexual behavior of people affected by this virus, and more specifically in male individuals. But, when we talk about whether HIV can modify human behavior, what exactly do we mean, within the sexual sphere?
According to studies, it seems that HIV would be causing some very subtle but effective changes in the host, intended to cause the host to have higher sexual activity and even take greater risks, maintaining relationships with a greater number of people. At the adaptive level, this mechanism has a very obvious meaning: maximum spread.
A virus is not exactly a living organism until it has attached to a host, but the laws of natural selection still apply to it. Therefore, those viruses that manage to “reproduce” (with the help of the host) in a more optimal way and thus manage to spread in successive generations will tend to survive.
Taking into account this mechanism and that HIV is transmitted through fluids, with the sexual route being the simplest, it seems clear that the strategy of making the host have the maximum number of encounters possible It would be an excellent method to guarantee the survival of the virus jumping from one individual to another, allowing it to reproduce.
Studies on the behavior modification of this virus
This is the phenomenon that Philip T. Starks and his collaborators, among others, have studied, compiling data from different works to carry out an analysis that would allow them to answer the question of whether HIV can modify human behavior. According to the data observed, these authors affirm that, indeed, HIV is capable of such a task.
To reach this conclusion, Starks looked at the reports of participants in the studies analyzed and realized that Those individuals who were in the acute phase of HIV infection reported having a significantly greater number of sexual encounters and more risk behaviors (new partners, no use of protection, etc.) than those people who were in the non-acute phase.
Not only that, but also It seems to be observed that, the higher the viral load in the patient, the more risky sexual behaviors carried out by the male host Therefore, regarding the question of whether HIV can modify human behavior, it would seem that the answer is yes and that it also becomes more efficient in this task the greater the viral load that the individual possesses.
Although, researchers are cautious and ask the scientific community to put more emphasis on carrying out this type of studies in order to resolve this issue once and for all and give a categorical answer to the question at hand. Only then will we know without a doubt whether HIV can modify human behavior.
Other cases of behavior modification by viruses
To continue investigating whether HIV can modify human behavior, we can consult similar cases And there are other viruses that also modify the behavior of the host, even if it is not human, to achieve similar effects. We are going to review some of the best-known cases to have a greater perspective on this phenomenon.
1. IIV-6/CrIV virus in crickets
For example, there is a virus called IIV-6/CrIV that affects crickets, causing infertility. However, on an external level it does not generate any type of manifestation, so a cricket infected by this pathogen is visually indistinguishable from a healthy cricket. However, one of the effects that have been observed in individuals affected by the virus is precisely similar to the one we have reviewed in this article.
It seems that Crickets that are infected by IIV-6 / CrIV would see their sexual behavior altered, so that they would maintain more relationships and with a greater number of individuals The objective is the same as what we observed when studying the question of whether HIV can modify human behavior: to spread the virus to the maximum, ensuring its survival.
To observe this phenomenon in figures, we must know that a healthy cricket takes on average about 10 minutes to begin making a courtship call to a female. On the contrary, a male infected with this virus took approximately 3 minutes to carry out this action, in search of a sexual relationship. As in the case of HIV, this behavior modification was carried out only in the case of male hosts.
2. Massospora cicadina fungus in cicadas
There are other examples in the animal world. One of them is the mushroom Massospora cicadina and the effect it has on cicadas. It seems that when an individual of this species is infected by this fungus, it suffers an effect similar to what we saw when answering whether HIV can modify human behavior.
In fact, the effect of Massospora cicadina It is even more lethal. It may cause the male host to flap its wings as a female would, to attract the attention of other male individuals and be able to come into contact to deposit the spores of this fungus on them
The most dramatic part of the process is that the fungus gradually decomposes the body of the carrier cicada, but this does not make it lose effectiveness in its dispersal mechanism, which is why cicadas can be observed whose genitals have been detached and even the abdomen because of the infection, they continue to transmit the fungus to all the individuals they can.
3. Entomophthora muscae in diptera
A very similar case to the one we have seen in the previous point is that of the fungus Entomophthora muscae and dipterous insects, which include mosquitoes, flies, horseflies and other animals. It is believed that this fungus provokes a response in these individuals that would be similar to the question of whether HIV can modify human behavior.
