How To Know If You’re Allergic To Semen

How To Know If You’re Allergic To Semen

When you get redness, swelling, and itchiness down there, it’s easy to assume it’s a yeast infection, or perhaps an STD. But experts say it may actually be a sign of an allergy to semen—yup, semen—causing your symptoms. While rare, a semen allergy can happen, and they’re not always easy to detect. Here's what you need to know.

According to the International Society for Sexual Medicine, a semen allergy (also known as seminal plasma hypersensitivity), is a rare allergic reaction to proteins found in a man’s semen that mostly impacts women.

Common symptoms include redness, swelling, pain, itching, and a burning sensation in the vagina that usually starts about 10 to 30 minutes after you have contact with semen. Symptoms aren’t just restricted to your vagina, though: They can happen on your skin or in your mouth as well.

Semen allergies can actually be pretty serious: While the ISSM says that symptoms can be localized, they can also impact your whole body, causing hives, swelling, trouble breathing, or anaphylaxis, a life-threatening allergic reaction.

“It’s not very common, but it’s more common than people may realize,” women’s health expert Jennifer Wider, M.D., tells SELF. It actually may happen more often than doctors realize because some people may not recognize or report it, she says.

While severe semen allergies happen, you shouldn’t freak out and worry that unprotected sex with your partner will send you into anaphylactic shock: Maureen Whelihan, M.D., an ob/gyn at the Center for Sexual Health & Education, tells SELF that those cases are incredibly rare.

The more common symptoms are similar to those of a yeast infection or herpes. So how can you know if you have a semen allergy or one of those infections? For one thing, Wider points out, the characteristic cottage cheese-like discharge in yeast infections isn’t there with a semen allergy. Sherry Ross, M.D., an ob/gyn and women's health expert in Santa Monica, Calif., tells SELF that figuring out that you have a semen allergy is largely done through the process of elimination. Doctors will typically test for infections as well as allergies to latex, spermicide, and lubrication products—all of which are more common allergies—before looking into a semen allergy, she says.

If a semen allergy is suspected, your ob/gyn may send you to an allergist who can do a skin test with your partner's semen to confirm it. You can also do some sleuthing on your own, provided your symptoms are minor. Timing can help you figure it out, Wider says, since you’ll typically notice these symptoms soon after your partner ejaculates.

There may be a cure for people with more mild semen allergies, though: A case study of a semen allergy sufferer published in the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology found that intravaginal desensitization (i.e. small exposures of semen in the vagina) essentially cured a woman of her allergy.

Condom use can also help, Wider says, as can taking an antihistamine before having unprotected sex. But, if you suffer extreme semen allergies, your doctor may want you to carry anEpiPen as a precaution.

Naturally, a sperm allergy can make it difficult to get pregnant. However, the ISSM says women with this allergy can still get pregnant through artificial insemination or IVF, and the allergy shouldn't impact the pregnancy.

If you suspect that you have a semen allergy, talk to your doctor. Whelihan recommends keeping a diary of your symptoms and even taking photos to show your doctor to help figure out what’s going on. And, if your symptoms are severe or bother you, use a condom until you can get to the bottom of things.

Shocking reasons why you must never douche

In truth, the vagina is like a self-cleaning oven—it doesn’t require any special cleaning method to stay healthy and you shouldn’t put any products or creams inside of it.

A little gentle soap and warm water is all you need to clean your lady parts. But some women insist on douching to achieve ultimate cleanliness, which can actually cause more harm than good. In case you’re still douching, here are some reasons to stop.

1. Vaginal infections (bacterial vaginosis) Douching upsets the natural balance of bacteria in the vagina. These changes make the environment more favorable for the growth of bacteria that cause infection. Studies have found that women who stopped douching were less likely to have bacterial vaginosis. Having bacterial vaginosis can increase the risk of preterm labor and sexually transmitted infections.

2. Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)

PID is an infection of the uterus, fallopian tubes, and/or ovaries. Research has found that women who douche may have a 73% higher risk of getting PID.

3. Pregnancy complications Women who douche more than once a week have more difficulty getting pregnant than those who don’t douche. Douching may also increase the risk of ectopic pregnancy by as much as 76%. With an ectopic pregnancy, the embryo implants outside the uterus. The more a woman douches, the greater the risk of having an ectopic pregnancy.

4. Cervical cancer Douching at least once a week has been linked to a possible increased chance of developing cervical cancer Ladies, there’s no need to douche or apply products internally. You can keep your vagina healthy by simply washing of the vulva with water during your daily shower or bath.

Do you know you Can Have BV and Never Even Know?

Roughly half of all women who have Bacterial Vaginosis don’t have any symptoms, so you can have an infection without realising it. The main symptom of Bacterial Vaginosis is typically a strange odor and discharge from the vagina. Since women have been socialised to be self-conscious about their typical odor and discharge (remember, regular discharge is completely normal), what you want to look for is a sudden change in what you’re used to. Some women note that their discharge takes on a “fishy” odor, or darkens in colour. These symptoms tend to be more noticeable after penetrative intercourse.

What You Should Do if You’re Worried You Have BV

If you have symptoms or a nagging feeling that something is amiss, a trip to the OB/GYN is in order. Your doctor will perform an exam, and take a sample of your discharge. They will examine the sample under a microscope for evidence of Bacterial Vaginosis, and to rule out a yeast infection or an STI. They will check your vaginal pH level. Your doctor may also perform the embarrassingly-named “whiff test.” This test involves placing a drop of potassium hydroxide on your sample, and checking for a “fishy” smell.

You’ll most likely be given a prescription for oral antibiotics or an antibiotic suppository, gel, or cream. Ironically, antibiotics may have been the reason why you contracted Bacterial Vaginosis in the first place. Continuing the irony, your antibiotic treatment can cause you to develop a yeast infection. Oh the joys of modern medicine! Make sure to take yogurt or probiotics while you’re taking your antibiotics, to pump more good bacteria into your body. You can also ask your doc for a “just in case” prescription for Diflucan, if you’re susceptible to yeast infections. Most women will experience a recurrence of BV, so keep checking yourself for symptoms for the next few months.

While Bacterial Vaginosis can be pretty harmless in most cases, it can cause complications if left untreated. Don’t put off a trip to the doctor. In very rare cases, BV has been correlated with miscarriages and early deliveries in pregnant women, and having BV can also make you more susceptible to contracting sexually transmitted infections. The odds are highly likely that your run-in with Bacterial Vaginosis won’t cause any issues, but it’s better to be on the safe side.

Have Bacterial Vaginosis Freedom once and for all

Have you been  experiencing some discharge from your virginal recently and also having pain in your virginal, have you been having symptoms like swelling of the vulva, and very painful. This certainly is Bacterial Vaginosis (BV)

Getting Rid of BV is All About Restoring Balance ... In Your Vagina ... & In Your Body! You see, normally there is a delicate balance of "good" bacteria and "bad" bacteria in the vagina.

The good bacteria control the growth of the bad. When you get bacterial vaginosis, the balance is upset. There are not enough good bacteria and too many bad bacteria.

So how do you get BV?

The experts aren't sure. They say certain things may increase your risk, such as having more than one sex partner, smoking and douching.

According to the information I've read, about one in 424 women are unlucky enough to get BV. Race and ethnicity also have an effect of how likely you are to get BV.

Certain conditions, such as pregnancy, Lupus, and low or high estrogen can also increase your chances for getting it. Here in the United States about 16% of the pregnant women are also battling with bacterial vaginosis.

So what are you going to do?

You can't keep avoiding sex because of the excess discharge and the fishy smell, as the lack of intimacy could drive you and your husband or boyfriend apart.

You can't keep spending tons of money on douches, deodorants, mini-pads, perfumes and just about anything else you can think of because these things often make the smell worse not better!

And you can't keep using antibiotics because they often don't work at all and other times seem to get rid of the BV for a while, until it inevitably returns.

Why don't antibiotics work?

Antibiotics destroy all bacteria, the good and the bad and if they kill your good bacteria there will be nothing there to control the bad, BV-causing bacteria should one of them survive or be reintroduced into the environment!

No, what you need is a plan that will allow you to get rid of your bacterial vaginosis safely and naturally while also restoring balance to your vagina and body and strengthening your immune system. What you need is my "Bacterial Vaginosis Freedom" ebook!

Armed with this ebook, you can get rid of bacterial vaginosis - quickly, easily and naturally.

You can get your life back!

Just Ask Yourself These Questions...

·        Do you want to know why you keep getting BV infections?

·        Do you want to cure your BV infection once and for all?

·        Do you want to eliminate the "fishy" odor and itching that often accompanies BV?

·        Are you wondering if you have BV?

·        Are you suffering from chronic yeast and/or urinary tract infections?

·        Would you like to get your sex life back?

·        Are you tired of feeling like you can never get clean down there?

·        Is penetration ever painful during sex?

Due to your battle with bacterial vaginosis I can definitely sympathize with you and why you are here today. You can trust me when I say that I know what you are going through, such as:

“The burning and itching and the "fishy" smell and the discharge that are all caused by bacterial vaginosis”

The bad feelings that come after you ruin another pair of underwear

Being too embarrassed to have sex with your husband or boyfriend,

Not being able to sit still and to have to run to the bathroom again and again and feel your co-workers' or friends' eyes on you the whole way.

I know what it is like to go to the doctor and have him imply that your condition is the result of sexual promiscuity.

And I know what it's like to powder and spray yourself again and again and again to get rid of the smell ... only to keep smelling that "fishy" odor.

I also know what it's like to take harsh antibiotics that seem to work ... only to have the symptoms return with a vengeance a couple of weeks later, usually right after you've gotten your hopes up that this time, finally, the drugs really worked and your BV is gone for good!

So l think there is a pretty a good solution to your problem if you really want to get rid of this problem (BV) that you are going through, so l recommend you get more information here: http://tinyurl.com/jg9pebd to find your solution to your problem once and for all without you applying all the antibacterial that you know and also going from one doctor to anoth