- With Mayo Clinic gynecologist and obstetrician
Mary M. Gallenberg, M.D.
read biographyclose windowBiography of
Mary M. Gallenberg, M.D.
Mary M. Gallenberg, M.D.
Dr. Mary Gallenberg is board certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology and by the American Board of Internal Medicine in internal medicine and medical oncology.
An Antigo, Wis., native, Dr. Gallenberg is a consultant in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn., and an assistant professor at College of Medicine, Mayo Clinic.
Dr. Gallenberg has been with Mayo Clinic since 1990. She was on the Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource editorial board and has been honored for excellence in teaching. She also won a Mayo Clinic Excellence Through Teamwork award.
Tests and diagnosis (1)
- Is a home sperm test useful?
Causes (6)
- Semen allergy: A cause of infertility?
- Secondary infertility: Why does it happen?
- Fallopian tubes: Is pregnancy possible with only one?
- see all in Causes
Treatments and drugs (1)
- Fertility herbs: Do they enhance fertility?
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Question
Semen allergy: A cause of infertility?
I often have a burning sensation in my vagina after my husband has ejaculated. My gynecologist has suggested I may have a semen allergy. Will this affect my ability to get pregnant?
Answer
from Mary M. Gallenberg, M.D.
In rare cases, people have been known to have allergic reactions to proteins in their partner's semen (semen allergy). Semen allergy isn't a direct cause of infertility.
Signs and symptoms of semen allergy include redness, burning and swelling where the semen has contacted the skin, usually in the outer genital area. A small number of people may have a systemic response, including hives, itching and difficulty breathing. If you experience these signs and symptoms, see your doctor. He or she can help determine whether you have a semen allergy. Allergy testing may be necessary.
If your sensitivity to semen is severe, you may still be able to get pregnant through artificial insemination using sperm washed free of semen proteins to prevent a reaction, or through in vitro fertilization.
Next questionSecondary infertility: Why does it happen?
- Liccardi G, et al. Intimate behavior and allergy: A narrative review. Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. 2007;99:394.
- Ferre-Ybarz L, et al. Human seminal plasma allergy and successful pregnancy. Journal of Investigational Allergology and Clinical Immunology. 2006;16:314.
- Makino A, et al. Successful pregnancy after artificial insemination in a case of human seminal plasma allergy. Reproductive Medicine and Biology. 2008;7:119.
- Resnick DJ, et al. The approach to conception for women with seminal plasma protein hypersensitivity. American Journal of Reproductive Immunology. 2004;52:42.
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