Today, even a schoolboy knows that sex should be safe in the first place. And according to doctors, the condom was and remains the most reliable means of protection against genital infections and unwanted pregnancy. It is him who should be taken on a date by a young man, and even a girl should have it with him at all. Moreover, there are no contraindications for this contraceptive.
But there are always exceptions to any rule. So, can there be allergies to condoms? In rare and even exceptional cases, a person may have allergic reactions to contraceptive components. And this is indeed a real medical problem, not some excuse, as some might think.
Fortunately, this problem is not so common. Statistics collected from famous brands selling contraceptives say that in about 6% of cases there is an allergy to condoms in women, and in 4% - in men.
Let's try to identify the symptoms of this phenomenon, preventive measures and treatment of the problem.
Causes of Allergies
What is allergy, the medical community has long been well known. But why it strikes one person, and bypasses the other, remains a big mystery to this day.
Condom allergy was not an exception, but, nevertheless, doctors identified two groups of people who are largely susceptible to this problem.
Genetics
Naturally, you don’t need to immediately run to your parents with such a delicate question: “Have you been allergic to condoms?” But even if there is such a harmless problem as, for example, an allergy to strawberries, it can be said that you inherited, if not this particular nuisance, then the predisposition to other types of the disease - for sure. And in any case, it is not worth excluding the case of intolerance of precisely the components of the contraceptive.
Developed allergies
If you know firsthand about allergens and try to avoid dust, pets or have excluded chocolate from the diet, then you should not be surprised that your “bouquet” will also replenish an allergy to condoms. The same statistics show that people who suffer from the negative effects of any other substances are in 70% of cases at risk of getting this unpleasant form of intolerance. Therefore, just be prepared for this, especially since an allergic person should always be fully equipped and have his own set of medicines on hand.
Condom Allergy: Symptoms
It is quite difficult not to notice the ongoing reaction of intolerance to the components of the contraceptive. But it is still important to remember that symptoms can occur both in a complex and individually, and they depend only on the characteristics of your body.
First of all, you should pay attention to the symptoms indicated below.
Skin rashes
Very often, an allergy to condoms can manifest itself in the form of urticaria, i.e., unpleasant rashes on the skin. Depending on the severity of the ongoing allergy, both the quality and the number of rashes change.
Genital discomfort
Itching and burning in the genital area can indicate the onset of an allergic reaction to the contraceptive. If the allergy proceeds in a strong form, then redness and in some cases even swelling of the genital organs are possible. Very often this phenomenon is observed in women.
Sensory organs
Strong discharge from the nose or, conversely, nasal congestion, irritation in the eye area and lacrimation may indicate that you are starting an allergic process caused by the components of the contraceptive lubricant. Along with the above manifestations, an allergy can also occur with skin rashes.
Lungs
In severe and deeply neglected cases, an allergy can manifest itself in problems with the lungs: difficulty breathing, coughing, wheezing with a sigh and a feeling of "weightlessness".
Delay in such cases is fraught with extremely unpredictable consequences, so the only sure way out is to immediately seek help from a doctor or call an ambulance. Such an allergy course is an extremely rare occurrence, it was noticed only in 1% of all cases.
How does condom allergy manifest
An allergen, as a rule, never manifests itself after the first contact with a person. Symptoms can only be observed after several contraceptive applications.
If, after the first sexual intercourse, you began to experience similar symptoms, then perhaps it is not a condom at all, but something else: third-party skin diseases, sexually transmitted problems in a partner, etc.
Methods of struggle
If you suspect that you are allergic to a condom (photos, text and video on the Web are more than enough), then contact a specialist immediately. There are several reasons for this.
- If this is an allergic reaction, then you must immediately determine what exactly provokes it. It will not be difficult for specialists in modern laboratories to take a blood test for allergens and their belonging to one or another classification group. Moreover, this procedure is not expensive at all and will not take much time. And it’s important for you to know how to behave further and how to deal with this unpleasant problem.
- If you have one or more of the above symptoms, you need to make sure that this is not a sexually transmitted infection or a similar sexually transmitted disease. Alas, no one is safe from them.
In general, a condom is made from latex, and it, in turn, has in its composition the juice of a Brazilian hevea tree. And it is hevea, with which latex is impregnated, in the vast majority of cases that is an allergen.
But latex is not the only reason. An allergy to the lubricant or other aromatic substances and / or components that treat the contraceptive may occur.
After blood donation to a group of allergens with subsequent delivery of the results (component or latex), two options for solving this problem appear.
Component
You can say that you are lucky. It is only enough to change the type or directly the grease itself, and the problem is solved. It is important to note that, when choosing a contraceptive, preference should be given to products without flavorings and with a water-based lubricant. In the instructions, everything should be described and indicated.
Latex
But if the problem is latex, then the only right option to solve it will be a complete rejection of the use of condoms. Of course, you can look for a contraceptive made of polyurethane for sale, but such a curiosity still needs to be found, and their degree of protection is far from the best level.
In this case, it will be reasonable to consult with a specialist who will be able to choose the contraception scheme just for you, and, of course, you need to completely eliminate random communications. Health, it’s always more expensive ...