According to an unpublished survey conducted through Manchester Metropolitan University, 12 in 100 women are allergic to human semen.
The allergies can span from mild skin irritation to fatal anaphylactic shock, reports the Daily Mail.
The allergy is most pronounced in women in their 20s. Symptoms of an allergy to semen include irritation, itching, painful urination and eczema.
Dr. Michael Carroll, who conducted the survey, wrote in an article in the journal “Human Fertility” that these symptoms are often mistaken for other ailments like skin conditions or sexually transmitted diseases. Women with the alergy are sensitive not to the sperm itself, but rather seminal fluid, according to the article. This menas that switching sex partners will not alleviate the condition.
Doctors have found no link between semen allergy and infertility. They say the allergic reaction usually happens within an hour of exposure.