Here is a rather surprising cause of infertility: sperm allergy! This type of allergy is rare since only 80 cases have been recorded worldwide. A 29-year-old woman discovered she was suffering from it when she was having difficulty getting pregnant. His case was described in the journal Frontiers in Medicine.
Hypersensitivity to proteins present in semen
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The couple had been trying to have a child for a long time, without success. They had benefited from two in vitro fertilizations (FIV) which did not work. In the report, doctors explained that gynecological examinations revealed no underlying cause for the patient’s infertility. They do not specify whether fertility tests had been carried out on her partner.
The young woman’s only health problems were a history of asthma and hypersensitivity to inhaled allergens (mold, cat hair, dust, etc.). So she consulted a doctor allergist to see if her allergies were not an obstacle to conceiving a child. After questioning the patient, the specialist decides to order blood tests. These reveal an abnormally high rate ofeosinophilsa type of white blood cell whose production is activated when the body is in contact with agents it considers to be pathogens.
Des tests skin were carried out in addition to know exactly the allergenic substances to which the woman was sensitive. The results of these tests showed that she was allergic to mitesto the pollen of plants whose grassesas well as allergensinsects and of dogs. Also, the patient was particularly sensitive to protein called allergen 5 of A family dog (Can f 5), present in the dander and dog urine. Sensitivity to Can f 5 may also indicate sensitivity to similar proteins found in human sperm, the doctors said in their report.
This allergy can trigger inflammation of the reproductive organs
The allergist decides to explore this avenue and questions the patient about the contexts of the appearance of her symptoms allergic. She claims to have previously suffered from nasal congestion and sneezing after unprotected sex with her partner. Symptoms which, she reports, had been neglected by other specialists during consultations aimed at finding the origin of her infertility.
The suspicion of semen allergy prompts doctors to carry out additional allergy tests on the patient using semen samples taken from her partner. The patient’s allergic skin reaction confirms the doctors’ suspicions: she indeed suffers from an allergy to plasma human seminal. Seminal plasma is the component liquid sperm which carries sperm.
In their report, the doctors indicate that hypersensitivity to sperm “is a potential cause of female infertility”. According to them, this allergy can trigger a inflammation at the level of the reproductive organs. However, this hypersensitivity to sperm cannot explain the failure of IVF because there is no sperm in the embryos implanted.
The impact of sperm allergy on the chances of conceiving has been the subject of little scientific research. © velimir, Adobe Stock
The only effective treatment is wearing a condom during intercourse.
The treatment for semen allergy is wearing condom during intercourse. But this is obviously not a solution that the patient chose since she wanted to get pregnant.
There is another treatment which consists of reducing hypersensitivity to semen by gradually exposing the patient to the allergen. Concretely, this involves gradually introducing seminal fluid in the person’s body, at increasing concentrations, to increase their tolerance to the allergenic substance. Unfortunately, this treatment is not available in Lithuania, the doctors wrote.
They therefore recommended that the patient take antihistamines before sexual intercourse to alleviate its symptoms. But it didn’t work, the report said.
Three years later, the patient returned for a follow-up consultation. She declared that she had still not been able to conceive and that she had developed new allergic symptoms after being in contact with her partner’s sperm: a burning sensation on her vulvaswollen eyelids, tearing…
The causes of infertility are often difficult to identify
In their conclusions, the doctors expressed their helplessness in the face of this exceptional case. They regret that the impact of this allergy on pregnancy, particularly in the presence of other health problems that can hinder conception, has been so little studied until now. We therefore do not know if this woman’s sperm allergy is the cause of her difficulties in conceiving, especially since the causes of infertility are often difficult to identify.
“This case reminds us that seemingly unrelated allergies, when combined, can cause reproductive health problems and warrant comprehensive work-ups”concluded the doctors.
