A student has revealed how she suffers from a severe allergy to semen that leaves her in ‘excruciating pain’.
Chloe Lowery, 18, of Longmont, Colorado, was diagnosed with human seminal plasma hypersensitivity – a rare allergic reaction to proteins found in most men’s sperm.
The condition means that she suffers physical reactions when she comes into contact with semen, including experiencing a ‘burning’ sensation and redness.
When semen comes into contact with her facial muscles, for example during oral sex, it causes numbness, drooping and temporary paralysis.
She is able to manage the condition by using condoms and being careful with which sexual acts she engages in.
Chloe, an English major and aspiring professor, said: ‘Essentially, I’m allergic to sex.
‘It was probably my third or so sexual experience, I hadn’t had contact with it [semen] before then and it got on my skin and I kind of turned red and I didn’t think much of it as I turn red sometimes.
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‘But then during another encounter it was in my mouth and I looked like I had Bell’s palsy in half my face for about three hours because I went into facial paralysis temporarily.
‘It was on the right side of my face, it was droopy and I just couldn’t express emotion at least with my mouth. It kind of felt like when you get a numbing shot at the dentist in your gums.
‘I honestly laughed it off, I thought it was more funny than anything. I was afraid it was going to be permanent but I slowly got my feeling back so I was fine but I’ve avoided it since for good reason.’
Chloe suspected she had an allergic reaction to semen and visited a doctor who confirmed the condition.
Chloe continued: ‘I have had a reaction vaginally and it’s the same kind of deal but instead of numbing, it’s more like a burning and I get really inflamed in that area.
‘It’s excruciating. It feels like a million acupuncture needles. But I had to check of course for STDs and I’m negative on all of those so that was another confirmation.
‘Every or any time I get semen inside of me it happens. Even the littlest bit, even precum.
‘Of course I try and urinate just for good sexual practice, which helps a little bit and then I just kind of lay there with ice if needed.’
The severity of the side-effects varies depending on the quantity of sperm she has had contact with, and can last from between 15 minutes to an hour.
With the help of condoms, Chloe has been able to avoid any more serious reactions.
Chloe said: ‘I have to disclose it to partners like “by the way, there’s certain things I can’t do because of what I have” and nobody has seemed to mind. They think that it’s actually more interesting or funny than anything, so it hasn’t caused me any relationship issues.
‘People actually want to know more but of course they don’t want to do their own research, so they ask me for all the details.
‘I don’t think it’s super common but I think it’s more common than people let on. I just think people mistake it for other things or have more minor reactions than me and so again they think nothing of it.
‘People just don’t even believe it’s a thing because it’s so uncommon or at least it’s not spoken about, so they’re more intrigued than anything.
‘Once I describe my experience they believe me, but at first a lot of the time people are like “no way, that’s a real thing?” and then they go “oh, that sucks” and I’m like “it doesn’t, I live with it, there’s worse things out there”.’
Daily Mail
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