Semen Allergy – It’s A Real Thing And A Royal Pain
It is easier to imagine dust, peanuts, pollen grains, animal fur, penicillin, etc., as allergens. However, most people are not aware of semen allergy. It is real, and there are people with allergic reactions to semen. This condition is referred to as a Human Seminal Plasma Hypersensitivity, abbreviated as HSP. Doctors say it is quite a rare occurrence, but in the unlikeliest of events you happen to have it, you'll always endure excruciating pains in the vagina or ass.
What's more, some men are allergic to semen. These individuals get sick after ejaculating in what doctors call post-orgasmic illness syndrome. The reaction from semen is usually a result of protein in the seminal fluid. The cases of seminal allergy are few. It mostly affects females, but it can also affect men, as seen above.
Symptoms Of Seminal Allergy
Common symptoms exhibited by people with semen allergy are also prevalent in other conditions. Most of these symptoms are close to common women's conditions, such as fungal infections. They include; burning sensations in the vagina, redness, pain, swelling, itching, and hives.
Although these symptoms are highly localized, semen allergy can cause discomfort by affecting other parts of the body. Some people may experience difficulty in breathing, anaphylaxis, body swelling, and many other life-threatening allergic reactions. Some people may also start experiencing dizziness, nausea, vomiting, swollen throat and tongue, wheezing, weak pulse, fainting, and sometimes, diarrhea.
Most of these symptoms are similar to yeast infection, herpes, bacterial vaginosis, chronic vaginitis, chlamydia, and latex condom allergy. Therefore, you need not freak out when you get such symptoms. It may be communicating something else far from seminal hypersensitivity.
Diagnosis
To be diagnosed, a doctor runs a series of tests, such as blood and other allergic tests. The twist is that one can be allergic to one person's semen and not another. Therefore, you cannot do trial and error. However, a doctor shall perform tests to eliminate other known allergens such as lubricants, latex, and spermicide before looking into semen. Alternatively, you can diagnose yourself since these symptoms start manifesting almost immediately after your partner ejaculates.
Treatment
If noted that indeed semen allergy is what is causing your discomfort, your doctor will send you to the allergist to do a semen skin test to confirm it. If you have a semen allergy, you should start wearing condoms during sex.
Another solution is to desensitize your skin. This involves continuing to expose yourself to your partner's semen until you become immune. Meaning you keep on enduring the pain and vaginal discomfort until your skin stops being sensitive. This process is called intravaginal desensitization. However, this method could be dangerous, especially if your reactions are extreme. Some allergic reactions can be lethal. The use of drugs can manage more extreme versions of these allergic reactions.
Pregnancy
Semen allergies do not affect a woman's fertility or chances of conception. However, it is difficult to get pregnant naturally if you seem to react to semen. You can either bear the reactions or go for intrauterine insemination (IUI) or in-vitro fertilization (IVF).
Is Sperm Good For Your Skin?
On one side, some believe that semen is beneficial for your skin and makes you look younger and more attractive. On the other hand, some still doubt the ability of semen to benefit the skin in any way.
Some believe that sperms are beneficial. They suggest that;
Sperms contain spermine (crystalline polyamine) – a compound touted as a strong antioxidant. They believe that these antioxidants in semen would help clear wrinkles and inflammations, leaving you with smooth finer skin.
It helps to clear acne from your skin.
It contains relaxing characteristics, and those exposed to the fluid are less likely to suffer from depression.
It has hormones oxytocin and prolactin, which help with mood.
It helps with morning sicknesses when swallowed.
There are urea traces in the semen. Dermatologists accept urea to be a great skin toning agent.
However, those against the idea that sperm is beneficial also have their arguments. They believe that;
The strength of spermine as an antioxidant could be more than what is required for topical use. They say that such strong compounds could be counterproductive as they may cause skin cancer or even result in mutations.
Reducing wrinkles on the skin would require more proteins than the amount present in semen.
Semen contains the hormone testosterone. This chemical is more likely to cause acne rather than eliminate them.
There is no proof that sperm swallowing could remedy morning sickness. It is, therefore, a myth.
The chemicals supposed to alter your mood in semen are not in such high volumes to cause any significant change.
The Bottom Line
Semen allergies are rare in either males or females but do exist. Such allergies in females manifest as other fungal or bacterial infections such as chlamydia and herpes. If a doctor confirms that you have a semen allergy, you can contain the situation by using condoms during intercourse. Remember, semen allergy does not affect your ability to conceive.