Antibodies against infidelity
How to be faithful in love
Building antibodies against infidelity is key. On several occasions, I have received references from studies on the health benefits of fidelity and mutual love. But the truth is, whether out of scepticism or lack of interest, I have never paid much attention to them.
However, about a month ago, two pieces of information coincided in my inbox. Separately, would not have caught my attention, but the combination of the two aroused my curiosity and offered me a rare medical confirmation of the fidelity and irrevocability of love.
On the one hand, I received the results of a study carried out by Wayne State University and Texas University (Dallas campus) on the effects of the romantic relationship of parents on the evolution of asthma in children with this condition. The authors claim that this is the first study that analyses the positive effect of the love relationship, because the negative effect of the conflict relationship had already been studied.
What is surprising about the study is that it shows that a ‘romantic’ relationship between parents lowers children’s asthma levels. “The results indicate that positive marital or partner relationships are associated with improved health in young people (the sample was between 10 and 17 years old) both in their physiological assessment (expiratory peak flow) and in the reported symptoms”. The full study can be seen here.
Love creates antibodies against infidelity
I love the idea that fidelity, passion and romanticism between parents can generate such favourable effects on the health of children.
And if this news was already surprising, even more unexpected was the one I received in the questionnaire for blood donation from the Generalitat de Catalunya, not at all suspicious of puritanism.
In the instructions for filling in the questionnaire, highlighted, in large red letters, this warning: “Do not give blood if you find yourself in any of the following situations”. And then listed the typical causes. These causes for not donating blood were: if you have AIDS or hepatitis B or C virus, or have injected drugs (heroin or proteins to increase your muscles), etc.
Among them, one of the exclusions was: “if you have had sex during the last four months with different partners (…) or with someone who changes partners frequently”.
The conclusion of these two news items combined became clear to me. Fidelity and mutual love (which I would freely translate as marital passion) open the door to generosity.
Passionate and romantic relationships
If you love your wife or your husband, if you try to have a romantic, passionate and faithful relationship, you will not only make those around you happier. But you will transmit health to your children and to all the people close to you. You will transmit it while you will be able to extend immunity, vigour and freshness to unknown third-parties to whom you will be able to donate blood without fear of infecting them.
If you change your partner, if you have a lover, cheat your spouse or despise the loyalty that love demands, you become human and medically selfish. In this way you are not good at love even on the medical level!
It seemed to me that, in these times of virus and confinement, when married people are called to live together and increase our love with creativity and optimism in circumstances that are not always easy, knowing that science and medicine are on our side is good news.
Look at the fact that marital fidelity and passion are antibodies not only to break-up and conflict, but also to real physiological diseases. And the test is very easy. Everyone will know. How wise nature is! Building antibodies against infidelity is key.
Javier Vidal-Quadras
