In what could be a unique case, a woman in Spain had an allergic reaction after a sexual encounter when she ingested her partner’s semen that contained a drug she was allergic to.
A 31-year-old woman arrived at the Hospital General Universitari d’Alacant in Alicante, Spain, with complaints of hives, vomiting, and breathlessness. She actually had an anaphylactic shock.
On evaluation, she told doctors that the reaction occurred after her partner had ejaculated his semen in her mouth during sexual activity. Although it is rare to have an allergic reaction to semen, the woman had no past history of such a reaction.
After in-depth evaluation and examination, it was found that her partner had taken an antibiotic called Augmentin that contained amoxicillin-clavulanic acid to which she was allergic to.
Her 32-year-old partner had been advised Augmentin and ibuprofen for his ear infection. He had taken Augmentin four hours before the sexual encounter.
Amoxicillin-clavulanic acid is a type of antibiotic that is generally predicted to treat bacterial infections affecting the ears, skin, lungs, sinus, and urinary tract. Amoxicillin is a bactericidal drug that kills the bacteria and clavulanic acid stops the bacteria from destroying the antibacterial drug.
It is believed that the woman had an allergic reaction after the antibiotic transferred into her partner’s semen.
Doctors advise those who are concerned about having a similar reaction to drugs to use a condom.
The experts wrote, “To our knowledge, this is the first case reported of a suspicion of amoxicillin-induced anaphylaxis in a woman after a sexual contact with a man who was taking the drug. But we have found some concern in sensitive patients about the possibility of transference of allergens via sexual intercourse.”
They added, “As clinicians, we consider that it is important to be aware of the existence of this possibility both in the diagnosis and in the prevention of anaphylactic reactions.”
A sperm allergy can be caused by hypersensitivity to the proteins inside the semen and the condition is quite common among women, according to the International Society for Sexual Medicine. An allergic reaction can be triggered in any area that comes in contact with the semen. For example, it can trigger an allergic reaction and cause burning in the vaginal area, along with redness, itching, swelling, and pain. However, these allergic symptoms may even spread to the whole body, resulting in hives and potentially life-threatening anaphylactic shock.
