Laurence Dollimore
A WOMAN has almost died after having an allergic reaction to her partner’s sperm in what doctors are calling a world first.
The unnamed woman, from Alicante, suffered the reaction to penicillin after performing oral sex on her partner, who was on medication.
According to the British Medical Journal, the unidentified 31-year-old had trouble breathing and started vomiting after the sexual contact.
She had to be rushed to Hospital General Universitari d’Alacant where she was admitted with suspected anaphylactic shock.
She told doctors that she was allergic to penicillin but stated that she did not take the drug prior to giving oral sex.
Her partner then revealed he was on medication to treat an ear infection and that he had taken amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, a form of penicillin, four hours before having sexual contact with the patient.
Doctors said the medication had worked its way down to the man’s semen and then into the patient’s mouth during oral sex.
The woman was breathing normally after six hours of adrenalin and steroid treatments and was back to normal after one week.
Susana Almenara, the author of the study, has urged people to use condoms and for those with similar allergies to make sure their partners are not taking penicilin medication.
“We think that as clinicians, it is important to be aware of this phenomenon so as to inform and prevent potentially serious reactions in sensitized patients,” she said.
“We also recommend condom use during treatment with drugs that can induce hypersensitivity responses in partners.”.
The Alicante incident is the first reported case of ‘amoxicillin-induced anaphylaxis’ happening due to sexual intercourse.
“To our knowledge, this is the first case reported of a suspicion of amoxicillin-induced anaphylaxis in a woman after a sexual contact with a man who was taking the drug, we hypothesized an oral drug transfer through semen,” Almenara added.
