Patient: A 29-year-old woman from Lithuania
Symptoms: The woman was about to conceive with a male partner, but was not pregnant. Although two rounds of in vitro fertilization (IVF) also failed to cause pregnancy, gynecological examinations found no underlying cause of why she was unable to conceive. (When the patient’s doctor explained the case in the report, they did not mention whether her partner had been tested for fertility.)
However, women had a history of asthma and were susceptible to inhaled allergens such as mold, cat fur and dust. There she visited a medical facility to see if her allergies were affecting her fertility.
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What happened next: At the facility, blood tests revealed that women had an unusually large amount of eosinophils, a type of white blood cell that protects the body against allergens. Skin examinations showed that in addition to known allergy triggers in women, she was sensitive to allergens in mites, weeds and grass pollen, insects and dogs.
The patient was particularly sensitive to a protein called Canis Familiaris Allergen 5 (Can F 5). Sensitivity to CAN F 5 can also indicate sensitivity to similar types of proteins found in human semen, doctors wrote in the report.
In an interview with allergies at the facility, the patient confirmed that she experienced nasal traffic jams and sneezing after unprotected sex with a male partner. These symptoms had previously been overlooked by other experts during consultations about her inability to conceive, she reported.
Diagnosis: The doctor then performed further allergy tests using semen samples collected from the female partner. The patient’s allergic reaction confirmed the doctor’s suspicion that she had a human vigorous plasma allergy. (Psychiatric plasma is the liquid component of semen that carries sperm cells.)
Reports show that semen sensitivity is a “potential cause of infertility in women” as such allergies can cause genital inflammation. It is not immediately clear whether allergies have somehow complicated IVF treatment in women.
Treatment: barrier contraception, i.e., the use of condoms – is the most common intervention in semen allergies. However, she rejected the strategy as the patient still wanted to get pregnant with her partner.
The only known treatments to reduce sensitivity to semen involve introducing fluid into the patient’s body at gradually increasing concentrations to increase resistance to allergens. However, this series of treatments was not available in Lithuania, doctors wrote. Instead, they recommended that women take antihistamines before intercourse to reduce the severity of their allergic reactions.
She followed their instructions, but she felt that the approach was “ineffective,” the doctor wrote. During a follow-up visit three years later, the woman said she still couldn’t get pregnant. Additionally, new allergic symptoms appeared after contact with her partner’s semen, including her vulva, her puffy eyelids and the burning sensation of watery eyes. According to the report, no further treatment was recommended.
What makes this case unique is that medical professionals around the world have recorded around 80 cases of human energetic plasma allergies, and there is still much to learn, especially when there are other health-related issues that can hinder conception.
The causes of infertility are often difficult to identify. Therefore, “This case serves as a reminder that when combined with seemingly unrelated allergic conditions, it can contribute to reproductive health challenges and ensure a comprehensive assessment,” the female doctor wrote.
This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to provide medical advice.
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