What is it like to have a semen allergy?

I've heard of seafood allergies, egg allergies, and pollen allergies, but I never imagined that semen could cause an allergy...

Today we have invited someone who has personally experienced "semen allergy" to share her feelings.

Anonymous patient

Thank you to the Obstetrics and Gynecology Channel for giving me this opportunity to speak.

I never expected this to happen. This is probably what they call "extreme joy turning into sorrow".

Here's what happened—

I am 46 years old this year, but I still have relatively good energy. Every night, my husband and I still do some "indescribable" things.

But tonight, just over an hour later, tragedy struck.

At first, I inexplicably felt dizzy and my hands and feet were itchy. Not long after, I also had diarrhea!

My husband noticed something was wrong with me and rushed me to the emergency room. At the hospital, I received antibiotic treatment, and my symptoms gradually subsided.

The doctor said I had an allergic reaction and almost went into shock and died.

My God, it was a life-or-death moment... I almost died because of something "indescribable"!

I asked the doctor what was wrong, and he said I was allergic to penicillin.

What?! Ever since I got hives from penicillin when I was a kid, I've never dared to touch this stuff again!

The doctor explained to me, "You didn't touch it, your husband did, and there was this stuff in his semen."

It suddenly dawned on me that my husband had infective endocarditis and was recently receiving non-enteric naphthenic acid treatment.

So the penicillin in the medication was expelled along with his semen and, after that "indescribable" process, entered my body.

Alas, it's all because of a lack of education. I hope that women will learn more about their bodies and make sure they are not allergic to semen before considering "unspeakable" matters.

Okay, thank you so much for sharing, sister from the United States!

In fact, this is a real case that occurred in the United States, and the American Journal of Medicine has published a detailed case report on it.

Besides the allergic reactions caused by medications in semen, there is also an allergic reaction to semen itself.

That is "human semen allergy". The first case of death due to semen allergy occurred in 1958, and some women in China have also experienced it.

Human semen allergy is a group of serious clinical symptoms involving multiple target organs, including immune or non-immune mechanisms.

It is common in early childhood. In the general population, the overall prevalence of allergies ranges from 10% to 60%, which is quite wide.

This is a clinical syndrome with multiple triggers and different pathogenic mechanisms.

What is it like to have this disease?

The cause of the allergy is not actually the sperm, and it doesn't want to take the blame for that.

Semen contains a complex mixture of substances, including at least 11 antigenic substances derived from sperm and seminal plasma.

When a woman with an allergic constitution releases immunoglobulin E (IgE) from her serum and binds to these antigens to produce an antigen-antibody reaction, it causes cells to release a substance called "histamine," which in turn causes capillary dilation, increased blood permeability, and smooth muscle contraction, ultimately resulting in an allergic reaction.

What are the common symptoms?

This allergic reaction usually occurs within minutes to hours after sexual intercourse, and generally manifests as:

Facial flushing

Itchy eyes

runny nose or nasal congestion

Laryngeal edema

Urticaria in the genital area

vulvar edema

Increased secretions, etc.

In severe cases, systemic allergic symptoms may occur, such as...

Swelling of eyelids and lips

Rash all over the body

Unbearable itching

Chest tightness and shortness of breath

Severe cough, etc.

However, the specific allergy symptoms and severity vary from person to person.

In fact, for most people, this allergic reaction is not fatal, and they may not even develop semen allergy at all.

This is because seminal plasma contains an immunosuppressive substance that can reduce the "sensitivity" of the immune system, called the male inhibition material (MIM).

What's its purpose? It's used to protect sperm from rejection. As you know, the human body is quite resistant to "foreign substances," such as cold viruses or other people's blood.

When a woman's MIM activity decreases and she happens to have an allergic constitution, the semen entering her body is more likely to cause an allergic reaction.

Unsure if you have a semen allergy?

Simple, just have one... uh, no, you'll know once you go to a proper hospital for a checkup.

What are we checking?

Routine examinations mainly include:

Semen allergen skin test

Serum IgE detection

Other immunological infertility antibody markers, such as antisperm antibodies, anti-uterine membrane antibodies, anti-ovarian antibodies, and anti-zona pellucida antibodies, are also tested.

What should I do if I have an allergic reaction?

First, both partners should cooperate to take psychological precautions, reduce psychological stress, and decrease the frequency of sexual intercourse.

Then, the following methods can generally be used:

Use condoms or contraceptive cream (gel) during sexual intercourse.

Yes, it's that simple and straightforward.

Condoms and contraceptive creams can directly block contact between the mucous membrane cells of the female reproductive tract and semen, and can also reduce the sensitization of semen.

Applying a small amount of fluocinolone acetonide ointment or hydrocortisone ointment to the labia and around the vaginal opening 30-60 minutes before intercourse can prevent or reduce allergic reactions.

After intercourse, women should urinate immediately to expel as much semen as possible from the vagina. Then, rinse the vagina and vulva with warm water to wash away any remaining semen.

Taking 25mg of diphenhydramine, 25mg of promethazine, or one tablet of loratadine about half an hour before sexual activity can prevent or reduce semen allergy reactions. Taking calcium supplements also has a certain anti-allergy effect.

Desensitization therapy

This method allows women to gradually adapt to sperm, thus addressing the root cause of the problem.

Generally, male semen is collected, and then desensitization is performed through subcutaneous injection or vaginal drip.

Subcutaneous injection requires 1-2 years of treatment, which involves subcutaneous injection of diluted semen with gradually increasing concentration and dosage 1-2 times per week.

The vaginal instillation process is very quick. The method involves slowly dripping a serially diluted solution into the vagina at 20-minute intervals, gradually increasing the concentration until the original solution is obtained.

After desensitization treatment, remember to maintain regular sexual activity to maintain semen tolerance. If regular sexual activity is not possible, frozen semen can be administered vaginally to maintain tolerance.

Desensitization therapy has achieved varying degrees of success. For patients who do not respond well to whole semen desensitization, semen can be separated using chromatography columns to remove large molecular fragments with potential immunosuppressive effects before desensitization therapy is performed.

Does being allergic to semen mean you can't have children?

Most women with semen allergy do indeed have immunological infertility caused by an imbalance of their own reproductive-related antibodies.

This is where artificial insemination comes in~

By removing allergens from the semen and using only the sperm for insemination, you can still be a beautiful and lovely expectant mother!

Oh, by the way, men can also be allergic to their own sperm (smile).