By Hilda Hutcherson, REDBOOK
Husband and wifeA patient recently came to see me because she and her husband were trying to get pregnant, and since they had stopped using condoms, something really weird was happening: She'd get a burning, stinging sensation in her vagina after they had sex. I performed an exam that ruled out common causes like vaginal dryness and infection, and became suspicious that she was allergic to a protein in her husband's semen. I referred her to an allergist, who confirmed the diagnosis. Although not terribly common, semen allergies do occur, and they can cause itching and swelling of the vagina. But, believe it or not, you can build up a tolerance by having a doctor give you allergy shots using small amounts of the protein in your husband's semen, to help desensitize you. After six months of shots, my patient was able to have pain-free sex.
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