MONDAY, Nov. 20 (HealthDay News) -- Semen allergy, of which 80 cases have been reported worldwide, has been found in a Puerto Rican woman for the first time, according to a case report presented at the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology meeting in Philadelphia. The woman was treated by intravaginal desensitization.
David J. Resnick, M.D., and colleagues from New York Presbyterian Hospital in New York City describe the case of human seminal plasma protein hypersensitivity. Intradermal testing showed allergic reactions to semen and seminal fluid.
The woman was treated by intravaginal desensitization, where increasing concentrations of semen are placed in the vagina over a period of a few hours. Maintaining the desensitization requires sexual contact at least two to three times per week, the authors note.
"Although reports of the condition in the scientific literature are relatively rare, there may be women with semen allergy who go undiagnosed because their symptoms are mild or they routinely use condoms," Resnick noted in a statement.
For more information, go to the Web site of the ACAAI's annual meeting (More Information).
