How do I know if I am allergic to semen?
You may have already heard of allergy to material that makes condoms but did you know that you can also be allergic to semen?
Semen allergies are a reaction to the protein found in sperm. With semen allergies, there are two varieties: individualized, and general semen allergies.
When you have indivudualized semen allergies, whether you are a woman or man, you may experience itching in the vagina and penis respectively, due to contact with the semen after ejaculation.
There may be redness, swelling and blistering. In cases where you have general, semen allergy will make the whole body of the person will itch following contact with semen.
At times, the allergy to semen in women can be detected during her first sexual encounter. But in some cases, sperm allergies may happen with different sexual partners or even abruptly with a long-time partner. Other times, the allergy may be misdiagnosed as vaginal inflammation (vaginitis), a yeast infection, or a sexually transmitted infection like herpes.
The best way to detect if you are allergic to semen is the evaluation of your body’s reaction with condom use. If you do not have a reaction after sex with a condom, but do react when you don’t use a condom, that could be an indication of an allergy to semen.
Is treatment available?
In mild cases, if it’s the woman solely allergic to semen, the use of condoms can work. Sometimes, repeated exposure to ejaculate during sex reduces any reactions. For extreme cases, you need to see a specialist doctor – an immunologist or allergist – for a prescription antihistamine to be taken before sex, or guidance through a process called desensitization.
Desensitization is repeated exposure to diluted semen solutions inside your vagina or onto a penis periodically until you can withstand exposure to undiluted semen without any reactions.