Something isn’t right.
Your body is breaking out in painful red hives, your eyes are itching, and you feel hot and
feverish.
You’re having an allergic reaction - but to what?
You haven’t eaten anything weird, and you weren’t anywhere near a cat...so what is
causing these terrible symptoms?
Could you possibly be allergic to yourself?
As outrageous as that sounds, it’s all too real.
Some men are allergic to themselves.
Specifically, they’re allergic to their own semen!
Post-Orgasmic Illness Syndrome, or POIS, is a relatively new medical discovery.
It was first documented in the medical literature in two-thousand and two, and experts are only
just beginning to understand this bizarre allergy to semen.
At first, researchers believed that POIS was caused by a chemical or hormonal imbalance,
or even that the symptoms were psychosomatic - meaning that the very real physical symptoms
were caused by your mind or your emotions, rather than by organic, physical processes
in your body.
But, in two-thousand eleven, some Dutch researchers discovered that POIS was actually an allergic
reaction to one’s own semen.
They performed the standard skin-prick allergy test on thirty-three men who experienced allergic
symptoms after sex.
Twenty-nine of the thirty-three test subjects experienced a reaction consistent with an
allergy - the area where their skin had been pricked with the semen solution was swollen,
red and itchy, and they felt like they had come down with the flu.
Although this didn’t solve the riddle of why or how this reaction happens, it did prove
that some component of the semen itself is what triggers the serious immune response
and causes such uncomfortable symptoms.
Experts still aren’t sure exactly how common it is to be allergic to your own semen - many
men are too embarrassed to tell their doctors about their strange symptoms, and many doctors
misunderstand the condition and often misdiagnose the symptoms as a sexually transmitted disease
- but some researchers guess that as many as one in a hundred men could be allergic
to their own semen!
So, what’s it like to live with an allergy to your own semen?
Imagine if any kind of sexual activity caused you to feel like you’d just come down with
the worst flu ever - that’s exactly what it’s like to live with POIS.
Anytime you’d ejaculate - whether with a partner or not - you’d start to experience
the telltale signs of an allergic reaction.
You’d develop itchy, painful hives where your body came in contact with the semen and
you’d develop itchy eyes, a runny nose and congestion.
Next, you’d begin to experience strong flu-like symptoms as the reaction affects the rest
of your body - you’d feel hot and feverish, you’d be nauseous and your muscles and joints
would ache.
In very serious reactions, your lips and throat might begin to swell, and you could have trouble
breathing.
If you don’t get immediate medical attention to address your symptoms, your throat could
swell shut and your semen allergy could become life threatening.
These uncomfortable symptoms might begin within a few seconds of exposure to semen and last
only half an hour, or it might take a few hours for the first symptoms to appear and
they could last for up to a week!
That’s enough to turn almost anyone off of sex.
But even if you decided to become a monk and took a vow of celibacy, you wouldn’t be
safe - the same reaction would happen in response to unintentional nocturnal emissions.
Some men with a semen allergy experience a reaction with their very first ejaculation,
but some others don’t develop the allergy until later in life, and many suffer in silence
because they are too embarrassed to tell their doctor what’s happening.
Thankfully, there are treatments available to help those afflicted with an allergy to
their own semen.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatories or NSAIDs, like those commonly used to treat arthritis,
can help reduce the painful symptoms like hives and swelling.
Men with a semen allergy can also use a condom during any sexual activity, including their
… ahem … solo time.
This won’t prevent full-body symptoms like fatigue and nausea, but it can help contain
the skin irritation and hives to the affected… area.
The most promising treatment avenue for a semen allergy is immunotherapy, which can
help reduce symptoms by sixty to ninety percent.
Immunotherapy involves injecting small doses of a man’s own semen under his skin on a
regular basis to build up tolerance and make his body less sensitive to exposure to semen.
At first the solution is highly diluted, but over time as the body builds up a tolerance
to semen, stronger and stronger solutions are used.
This type of immunotherapy or hyposensitization treatment has been very effective for treating
a number of different allergies and conditions, but it’s a very slow process, and it can
take up to three years to desensitize the body enough to significantly reduce symptoms.
With all these options for treatment, hopefully more men will feel confident enough to get
over their embarrassment and talk to their doctor about their strange symptoms after
sex.
In cases of Post-Orgasmic Illness Syndrome, the man is reacting to his own semen.
Another type of semen allergy, called Human Seminal Plasma Hypersensitivity, is an allergic
reaction to all semen.
HSP is less rare than POIS, and it is more common - or just easier to diagnose - in women.
Up to forty thousand women in the U.S. are allergic to semen.
The symptoms of an HSP allergic reaction to semen usually start within thirty minutes
of exposure, and can last anywhere from a few hours to a few days.
Like with POIS, a woman with a semen allergy would experience the hallmark symptoms of
an allergic reaction - first, hives would appear on any area where semen contact occurred,
such as their genitals, hands or even their mouth.
The hives might be accompanied by itchy eyes, swollen lips and nausea.
In some rare cases, a severe, potentially life-threatening anaphylactic reaction can
occur.
Symptoms of an anaphylactic reaction include nausea and diarrhea, a weak, rapid pulse,
and difficulty breathing as the throat and tongue swell up.
Without treatment, these types of reactions can be fatal.
Most cases of HSP are caused by a severe immune reaction to a certain protein found in semen,
but in some cases the reaction could be caused by an underlying allergy to a food or medication
present in the seminal fluid.
Unlike POIS, which is often experienced from an early age, it’s common for women to develop
an HSP semen allergy in their early thirties, possibly because of hormonal changes, and
it can also fade with time.
It’s also not unheard of for a woman to experience semen sensitivity with one partner
but not with another.
Treatment for an HSP semen allergy in women is very similar to the treatment of POIS in
men, with some key differences.
Women with a semen allergy should make sure that their partner wears a condom during all
sexual activities to help limit her contact with seminal fluid.
In many cases, this is enough to prevent reactions, since there’s no direct contact with the
semen.
But, this can pose a problem for any couples hoping to have children.
While HSP doesn’t directly impact fertility, it can be pretty hard to make a baby while
using condoms.
And when skipping the condom puts you at risk of a severe allergic reaction, the idea of
getting pregnant can start to feel downright impossible.
Okay, quick caveat here: we are by no means implying that condoms are one-hundred percent
effective at preventing pregnancy.
Don’t take your birth control advice from YouTube - talk to your doctor about your options.
Anyway, for women with a semen allergy who want to conceive, there are a couple of options
that they can try.
Like with POIS, desensitization may help reduce symptoms over time.
For women suffering from a semen allergy, their desensitization process involves placing
a diluted semen solution inside their vagina to build up their body’s tolerance.
Over time, the solution is left in place for longer periods, until eventually she is able
to withstand exposure to semen without experiencing symptoms.
After the initial desensitization, the woman will need to make sure she is consistently
exposed to semen to maintain her tolerance - some experts recommend having unprotected
sex at least every forty-eight hours to maintain immunity.
That’s one prescription we can get on board with!
If desensitization isn’t effective, or if they just don’t want to wait for that long
to start their family, intrauterine insemination, IUI, or in vitro fertilization, IVF, are options
for conceiving a baby without having to have unproctected sex.
Believe it or not, a semen allergy is not the only strange allergy that can put a damper
on your sex life.
Some people are actually allergic to their own sweat.
It’s called cholinergic urticaria, and it means that their body mounts an immune reaction
to an antibody found in their own sweat - immunoglobulin G, or IgG.
People who are allergic to their own sweat have to take care not to overexert themselves
- that means avoiding exercise, excessive heat and yes, even sex.
And if you thought a semen allergy - or even a sweat allergy - was bad for your sex life,
wait until you hear about these crazy allergies.
Urticaria is the clinical name for the itchy, painful red hives that some people experience
after being exposed to an allergen.
In most cases, a food, chemical or, as we just learned, a bodily fluid is to blame for
the hives.
But in some very rare cases, an urticaria reaction can be the result of a sensation.
Some cases of a sweat allergy might actually be a reaction to the sensation of heat in
the body, which causes similar symptoms of hives, rashes and itchiness.
Whether it’s the heat itself or their own sweat, those afflicted with an allergy to
heat have to avoid activities that cause them to get hot and bothered - exercise, extreme
temperatures and, you guessed it, sex, can all trigger a reaction.
On the flip side, some people are allergic to cold temperatures, and experience similar
reactions when exposed to freezing water or air.
At least sex doesn’t seem to be a problem for them - unless they are trying to get it
on in a snowbank!
Vibratory urticaria is an allergic reaction to vibrations.
Thankfully, the reactions are usually mild - sufferers typically experience hives and
skin rashes on areas of their body that endure vibrations - but it can make simply daily
activities extremely challenging.
Common things like exercising, riding in car, clapping your hands and, of course, having
sex, all cause vibrations, and it can be very difficult and even painful to endure these
activities and the accompanying reaction.
Another weird allergy that can definitely put a damper on your sex life is pressure
urticaria.
That’s right, some people can actually be allergic to pressure!
These poor people experience the typical urticaria symptoms - hives, rashes and itching - on
any area of their body that experiences pressure.
Imagine not being able to sit down without your bottom erupting in painful, itchy hives!
And if sitting is an issue, we’d imagine that your sex life is suffering too.
But probably the most heartbreaking allergy - and the worst one for your sex life, aside
from a semen allergy - is an allergy to the human touch.
It’s called Dermatographia, a word that literally means “writing on the skin”,
and it’s an accurate description of what this allergy is like.
At the slightest touch, the skin of someone with dermatographia will erupt in painful,
itchy red hives.
Most sufferers are so sensitive that they can literally trace shapes and words onto
their skin with their own fingers and watch it come to life as an angry red welt.
One woman, a photographer named Ariana Page Russel, is trying to raise awareness about
this rare and strange condition by sharing photos of her own “body writing” online.
Ariana has found this to be a great way to connect with fellow dermatographia sufferers.
She says, “They feel better having a name for it, and knowing they’re not alone.”
While it’s hard for most of us to imagine living with a strange allergy like an allergy
to semen, thousands of people have to deal with these allergies and the symptoms every
day.
Thankfully, most of these reactions are mild, and many treatments exist to help those suffering
from a semen allergy, but learning about these bizzare allergies definitely leaves us feeling
grateful that we can sit down, exercise and yes, have sex, without experiencing an embarassing
and painful allergic reaction!
So, what are your thoughts on this rare and bizarre allergy to semen?
How do you think you would deal with such a weird allergy?
What other strange allergies have you heard about?
Be sure and let us know your thoughts in the comments!
If you thought this video was fascinating, be sure and check out our other videos, like
this interesting one titled “Man Resistant to Cold and A Man Allergic to Cold”, or
perhaps you’ll like this other video.
While we can’t promise that these videos will cure your hay fever, they just might
make you feel a little bit more grateful for your seasonal allergies.
As always, thanks for watching, and don’t forget to like, share and subscribe!
See you next time!