sperm allergy exists.yes, there are women who have done it hypersensitivity to human seminal plasma. It’s not very common, but about one in 30,000 suffers from this problem. It’s no longer the fact that it makes sexual intercourse challenging or conditioning, it’s that sperm allergy can represent an additional difficulty when trying to get pregnant.
to find out about the peculiarities of this type of allergy, its symptoms, therapeutic options and how to tackle the reproductive project, we spoke with the Dr. Laura Blascogynecologist at Ginefiv.
we know that there are many types of allergies,but when we discovered that semen allergy exists,we were surprised. what does it consist of?Sperm allergy or hypersensitivity to seminal plasma is an immune response to proteins that are part of sperm, such as PSA (prostate specific antigen).
What are your symptoms? Is there a systemic reaction?
Symptoms can occur locally, with redness, inflammation, itching and pain in the vaginal area. More exceptionally, at a systemic level: generalized redness, breathing difficulty and, in extreme cases, shock anaphylactic. They appear shortly after having had sexual intercourse and have a variable duration over time.
Due to the symptoms, can it be confused with other reasons for vaginitis?
As the symptoms are very similar to those that appear in vulvovaginitis, it is indeed frequently enough easy to confuse it with an infection. The key is to find the image’s association with sexual intercourse.
Semen allergy in men is extremely exceptional. It may occur if the man has an unusual hypersensitivity or immune response to his own body fluids,a phenomenon known as autoimmunity.
This allergy shouldn’t be associated with infertility, right?
Even though there is no direct relationship between sperm allergy and fertility, having a hypersensitivity to seminal plasma causes difficulties in sexual intercourse and this represents a problem for being able to conceive naturally.
Image of an in vitro fertilization treatment
Is the incidence of semen allergy known? Is there any data?
Although there are no exact studies on the global incidence of semen allergy, it is estimated that it can affect 1 in 20,000-40,000 women.
How to deal with this semen allergy? Are there guidelines?
Yes, there are. Guidelines for addressing semen allergy include a broad approach:
• Use of condoms to prevent allergic reactions.
• Desensitization treatments or immunotherapy, in more serious cases which can compromise the quality of sexual life.
• medicines to relieve allergy symptoms (antihistamines or corticosteroids).
• Explore alternatives to sexual activity.
• Open communication with your partner.
• psychological support and couples therapies.
• Consider assisted reproductive techniques when trying to become pregnant.
The fact that patients with sperm allergy must use condoms during sexual intercourse makes it difficult to achieve pregnancy naturally. Assisted reproductive techniques are a safe option for achieving pregnancy in patients with this problem.
– How is it treated in this case? What can be done to help a woman get pregnant?
In cases were medical care is not sufficient for the couple to have sexual intercourse without a condom, assisted reproductive techniques, such as artificial insemination (AI) or in vitro fertilization (IVF), represent a safe alternative to obtain a pregnancy.
If the sperm allergy is very severe, the technique of choice will be in vitro fertilization with sperm microinjection (ICSI). This technique consists of introducing a spermatozoon inside each egg in the laboratory and, thus, completely avoids the patient’s contact with the seminal plasma.
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