Representative image. An American man named Timothy Friede has subjected himself to more than 200 snakebites and 700 injections of venom over 18 years.
| Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto

For millennia, there have been stories of people who tried to make themselves immune to poison by regularly ingesting small, non-lethal doses of it. The practice is called mithridatism after the Pontic king Mithridates VI (135-63 BC), who reputedly immunised himself to various poisons this way.

Mithridatism is no longer practised today because scientists have developed safer, surer ways to protect the body against many toxins. A famous example is vaccines, which work by exposing the body to, say, a weakened virus so that the immune system learns to fight a non-weakened virus.

On May 2, US researchers published a paper in Cell reporting that an American man named Timothy Friede had subjected himself to more than 200 snakebites and 700 injections of venom over 18 years to immunise himself against their deadly effects. Injuries and deaths due to snakebites are hard to prevent, especially in India, because they usually occur in areas with poor access to antivenoms and because each snake’s venom requires a specific set of antibodies to fight.

Fortuitously, the researchers found that a combination of antibodies in Mr. Friede’s blood and a drug called varespladib could shield mice against 13 kinds of venom and partially defend against six more. This is a step towards the long-sought broadly neutralising antibodies — drugs that can defend people against most, if not all, venoms.

As part of prevention measures, people must prevent water stagnation in their surroundings. 
| Photo Credit: SUSHIL KUMAR VERMA

Dengue cases are gradually increasing in Karnataka even before the onset of monsoon. From January till April 30 this year, the State has recorded 1,186 cases, six of which required hospitalisation. What is concerning is 51 of these cases are children aged below one year, and 553 are below the age of 18.

Early summer showers, construction activity and water stagnation have led to mosquito breeding and residents across Bengaluru are feeling the sting. In fact, the number of dengue cases saw a sharp rise in the last one month. From 707 positive cases in the week ending March 2, cases shot up to 1,186 as of April 30. With more rains predicted in the coming days, health authorities are gearing up to prevent any outbreak.

Although the number of dengue cases this year is less than those reported during the corresponding period (January to April 30) last year, health authorities are concerned as Karnataka had reported 32,826 cases in 2024, the highest in the country. Karnataka was followed by Tamil Nadu with 27,328 cases, and Kerala with 21,075 cases. 

While 20 dengue deaths were reported in Karnataka in 2024, the third highest in the country, Kerala had recorded 99 deaths, the highest in the country. Maharasthra followed Kerala with 26 deaths.

In 2023, Karnataka had recorded 19,300 dengue cases, and 11 deaths.

Highest from Bengaluru

Ansar Ahmed, State Joint Director, Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP), said all the six hospitalised cases were reported by the BBMP. As usual, Bengaluru has recorded the highest number of cases so far this year too with 513 (43.2%)  of the total cases being from the city, he said.

Asserting that awareness activities, apart from monitoring and prevention measures, were being stepped up, Dr Ahmed said there is a need for people to avoid water stagnation in their surroundings. “Apart from mosquitoes, the inclement weather is conducive for viruses, bacteria, parasites and a variety of other pathogens to thrive. These can cause viral, bacterial and fungal diseases. Communicable diseases that spread through water, primarily through the feco-oral route, and due to contamination are also common during monsoon, and people have to be vigilant,” Dr Ahmed said.

City-based general physician and diabetologist Haleema Yezdani said, “While heavy rains will wash off mosquitoes and their larvae thereby temporarily preventing breeding, water stagnation post-rain can turn into breeding spots. This can increase the spread of vector-borne diseases.”

Both dengue and dengue-like ailments present with similar symptoms, including high fever lasting four-five days, followed by persistent severe headache, joint and muscle pain, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, and skin rash for an additional three-four days. People should not ignore any symptoms and should seek medical advice at the earliest, she added.

Dengue notifiable disease

In September 2024, when cases had crossed the 25,000 mark, Karnataka had notified dengue fever, including severe forms of this vector-borne disease as an epidemic disease. The State had amended the regulations under the Epidemic Diseases Act 2020, and the Karnataka Epidemic Diseases (Amendment Regulations) 2024 was published in the official gazette.

The uptick in dengue last year had pushed up the demand for platelets. Apart from setting up a toll-free helpline and reserving beds in government hospitals for dengue patients, Karnataka’s Health Department had announced a price cap of ₹300 each on Dengue Elisa NS1 antigen and Dengue Elisa IgM antibody tests in private hospitals and diagnostic laboratories. For a rapid card screening test (NS1, IgM and IgG antibodies), the government has fixed a price of ₹250. 

The human fascination with erotic imagery is ancient. But never before in history could humans instantly access, stream, and interact with vast oceans of visually stimulation erotic material—free, anonymous, and available twenty-four hours a day. Photograph used for representational purposes only
| Photo Credit: Getty Images

In a recent divorce ruling, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court adjudicated a case where the husband accused his wife of being addicted to pornography, alleging that it amounted to cruelty within the marriage. But the court ruled that private viewing of adult content does not qualify as cruelty. While the court addressed the question through the lens of individual autonomy and marital privacy, the judgment invites a deeper inquiry: can pornography consumption be considered an addiction? Because the judiciary recognises substance addiction—like alcoholism or drug dependence—as valid grounds for divorce under the charge of cruelty. But pornography sits in a grey area. It is not a chemical substance but a sensory stimulus and leaves no visible scars on the body after consumption. However, it shares unsettling similarities with known addictive behaviours.

The origins of erotic art

The human fascination with erotic imagery is ancient. The sensuous murals of the Ajanta caves etching expressions of sexuality have always had their place in art. But never before in history could humans instantly access, stream, and interact with vast oceans of visually stimulation erotic material—free, anonymous, and available twenty-four hours a day. Today, an ordinary person can access more bodies, fantasies, and acts than a medieval king could dream of in his harem.

The human brain is wired to respond to novelty in sexual mating. The Coolidge effect is a unique mammalian behavioural pattern that refers to the biological tendency to be re-stimulated by a new mate or stimulus. Modern pornography capitalises on this evolutionary trap with endless scrolls, categories, and ever-changing scenarios. It is not just about arousal; it is about novelty. This novelty acts as a supranormal stimulus, referring to artificially enhanced stimuli that hijack natural reward systems.

Globally, studies suggest that pornography consumption is more prevalent among males than females, with self-reported surveys indicating that approximately 60–70% of young men and around 30–40% of young women engage in regular viewing. However, these numbers vary widely by age, cultural context, and methodology. The most reliable study to date—a nationally representative Australian survey—found that 4.4% of men and 1.2% of women “considered themselves addicted to pornography”. India lacks large-scale, peer-reviewed research on pornography use. Much of the available data is based on self-reporting that is prone to bias.

The line between habit and harm

Pornography use is not classified as an addiction by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5 & the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11). The ICD-11 does acknowledge ‘Compulsive Sexual Behaviour Disorder’, which includes persistent and distressing patterns of sexual behaviour like porn use, but places this under impulse control disorders, not addictions. This hesitation reflects a deeper scientific dilemma: where do we draw the line between habit and harm, between high-frequency use and clinical pathology? The difficulty in categorisation begins with the elusive nature of the behaviour itself. In the case of substances like alcohol or nicotine, thresholds can be defined in grams, blood levels, or measurable physical harm. With porn, the metric is psychological: does it interfere with daily functioning, does it cause distress, does it lead to compulsive patterns? The model includes impaired control (such as cravings or failed attempts to stop), functional impairment (neglect of work, studies, or relationships), and risky use (continuing the behaviour despite adverse consequences).

This is further complicated by the fact that porn is sensory stimuli, not a physical drug like tobacco nor a tangible engagement like gambling. It doesn’t require a casino, partners or money; unlike alcohol, it doesn’t leave a smell or a hangover. All it needs is a smartphone and a closed door. This ease of access powered by the digital revolution makes porn consumption nearly frictionless. This invisibility makes it harder to measure, regulate, and study. The scientific community faces another challenge: there is no real control group or animal model. With the explosion of internet access post-2000, nearly all adolescents and young adults today have been exposed to pornographic content, often before they experience partnered intimacy. In this sense, our generation lacks a “control group” or “baseline”, making it impossible to determine the long-term psychological effects of this exposure. When everyone smokes, lung cancer becomes normal.

Unlike substances that can be tested in animal models to study addiction pathways, pornography—being a visual and cognitive experience unique to humans cannot be replicated in lab rats or monkeys. There is no rodent equivalent of compulsively watching or endlessly scrolling through nude mates. This absence of animal models has hampered the routine route of scientific enquiry and stalled the progress of understanding porn consumption.

Porn use and the brain

Neurobiological evidence about porn use however, is accumulating. Functional MRI studies have shown that people with compulsive porn use display altered activity in brain regions involved in reward processing, such as the ventral striatum and amygdala. Repeated exposure to high-stimulation erotic content results in what neuroscientists call “sensitisation”—heightened response to cues—and “desensitisation”—the need for more extreme or novel content to feel the same level of arousal. Over time, changes in the prefrontal cortex may weaken impulse control, mirroring what is seen in substance use disorders.

These structural and functional changes are mediated by key neurotransmitters: dopamine, which regulates pleasure and reward; glutamate, which governs learning and habit formation; and serotonin, which modulates mood. Just like alcohol or cocaine, pornography also appears to rewire the brain. Clinically self-reported porn consumers reported heightened anxiety, insomnia, poor concentration, irritability, and relationship dissatisfaction. There is also growing concern about body image issues, unrealistic expectations about sex, and emotional detachment in intimate relationships.

Pornography and the Young Person | Women Uninterrupted podcast – Season 5, Episode 2

An ongoing, natural experiment

In epidemiology, natural experiments refer to large-scale phenomena not designed or controlled by scientists but observed historically to understand their impact. The widespread and unregulated consumption of digital pornography may be such an experiment. Just as Marie Curie worked with radioactive isotopes before understanding the dangers, or as Hollywood once glamorised cigarette smoking as a symbol of sophistication, we may be living through a phase of cultural naivety. We are normalising a behaviour whose long-term effects on brain development, social bonding, and emotional regulation we have yet to understand fully.

No fixed threshold can define “what’s too much,” but science agrees that the brain is malleable. Whether this adaptation is healthy or harmful depends on the context, the individual, and the consequences. But as researchers continue to debate, as platforms continue to evolve, and as generations continue to consume, one thing becomes increasingly clear—we are in the midst of one of the largest unregulated psychological natural experiments in human history. And the results may take decades, if not longer, to fully unfold.

The Madras High Court judgment appears well-aligned with existing medical consensus. Whether future evidence shifts this perspective remains uncertain, but for now, labelling porn use as cruelty lacks the clinical backing needed for such a legal conclusion, even though consuming it is not advisable.

(Dr. C. Aravinda is an academic and public health physician. The views expressed are personal. aravindaaiimsjr10@hotmail.com)