Some Women Allergic to Semen

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Most cases occur after vaginal intercourse, but some cases are related to oral sex, Resnick said. Anal sex could conceivably cause an allergic reaction, too.

So, what can a woman with the condition do?

Allergy shots are one treatment, or simply waiting for the allergy to go away. Dr. Ronald Simon, an allergist at Scripps Clinic, in San Diego, and colleagues have written about another treatment in which an anti-allergy drug was mixed into contraceptive gel and then inserted into the vagina.

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Another alternative: The man could wear a condom, Simon said, and protect his partner from exposure to semen. But, latex condoms won't work if either partner is allergic to them.

In his presentation, Resnick was expected to talk about another approach -- desensitizing an allergic woman by exposing her vagina to tiny bits of semen, then moving to larger ones.

But for this to work, the woman must keep the desensitization process going by having sex two to three times a week, Simon said. "If you decide, 'I'm mad at you, and I'm not going to have intercourse with you,' then the next time you're exposed to the semen, it will be a big problem," he said.

More information

Learn more about semen allergy from the AAAAI (www.aaaai.org ).

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