I’m allergic to semen — here’s how it’s made my sex life a huge struggle
She’d rather they not come.
Sexual intimacy plays an important role in a relationship, whether it’s romantic, spontaneous or a little risky. But for one woman engaging in any ejaculate inducing acts can lead to a burning sensation that takes the mood from hot to cold right quick.
Allison Tennyson, 34, confessed she’s allergic to semen and condoms, making sex an excruciating and uncomfortable experience.
“It’s a struggle … It’s hard to be intimate because it’s not comfortable and I can’t even use condoms,” Tennyson told Caters News.
When Tennyson was 24 years old, she was diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, which affects the connective tissues according to the Mayo Clinic.
“I’ve cried about it quite a bit to be honest. It makes me upset as I didn’t even know that it was a thing that could happen because I’d never heard about it before,” she admitted.
She discovered her semen allergy after being tested for 160 allergens, with a few results coming back positive, such as nickel and penicillin.
A semen allergy, also known as seminal plasma hypersensitivity, is a rare allergic reaction to proteins found in the male spermatic fluid, described by Cleveland Clinic. When Tennyson’s skin is in contact with spermatozoon, it causes a burning sensation on her epidermis.
Despite having allergies, Tennyson enjoys the concept of sex but not the reaction that comes.
“I always want to have sex so we do it, but only in the early stages. Not experiencing the semen is just not the same and so limiting,” she revealed.
Tennyson desires to increase sexual intimacy with her partner, but the pain she endures turns the sensual moment into concern.
“It hurts. My partner doesn’t want it,” Tennyson shared. “It’s not appealing to be hurting your partner during sex!”
Many people would assume using a condom could resolve the semen interaction, but the Minneapolis, Minnesota native is also allergic to the materials in condoms.
“We’re not intimate enough because of the allergies. I don’t want to burn, and he doesn’t want to make me cry – so it’s really hard!” the woman added.
The couple has considered what their future will look like if they decide to start a family, but they question if her condition makes it impossible.
“We’ve considered it, we just don’t know yet. I’ve always wanted one but then it’d be fine to not have a baby — we keep going back and forth,” she admitted.
Tennyson hasn’t wrapped her head around the process of what it would take for a seed to be successfully planted in her without adverse side effects.
“I don’t know how I can even have a baby; I don’t even know how that would work — like, would my body just reject semen completely?” she questioned.
In addition, Tennyson suffers from a blood clotting disorder, which can be hazardous during pregnancy.
“I have a blood clotting disorder as well, so pregnancy is really risky for me. My partner and I have done our due diligence with my doctor to make sure I would survive pregnancy and all that.”
The pair remain hopeful to find a way to conceive a baby even with her medical conditions.
“If having a baby wasn’t an option, it would be pretty heartbreaking. At least, if I had the choice, it would make me feel better. I’m 34 now, so I’m a little older, but I still have time,” she concluded.
Although semen allergy is considered rare, Chloe Lowery, a Colorado college student confessed she also suffers from the rare semen allergy.
“Essentially, I’m allergic to sex,” Lowery, 18, told Kennedy News of her unfortunate affliction, which began when she first started to experiment.
“Every or any time I get semen inside of me it happens. Even the littlest bit, even precum,” explained Lowery. She added that the severity of the side effects depends on the quantity of sperm she’s made contact with, while symptoms can last anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour.
