Woman, 28, allergic to nuts was left with a ‘burning’ vagina after having sex with partner

A woman suffered an allergic reaction to nuts — after having unprotected sex with her partner.

Experts say her partner’s love of the high-protein snack was to blame for the ‘burning’ sensation in her genitalia.

Tiny traces of nuts in his semen triggered the bizarre reaction, doctors believe. 

The unidentified couple, from Delaware, were trying to have a baby.

But their efforts were thwarted by a suspected case of vaginitis — which can cause itching, discharge and pain during sex. 

Usually, it is caused by infections or skin conditions.

Yet this case, detailed in a medical journal, was triggered by the 28-year-old’s existing food allergy.

The woman told doctors that she only suffered vaginitis when her partner ejaculated inside of her. 

A couple trying for a baby discovered a mysterious case of vaginitis was caused by traces of nuts in the man’s sperm (stock image)

Australian adult star Lucy Banks, who makes over £30,000-per-month on OnlyFans, recently explained how she suffered an allergic reaction to peanuts from her partner's sperm

Australian adult star Lucy Banks, who makes over £30,000-per-month on OnlyFans, recently explained how she suffered an allergic reaction to peanuts from her partner’s sperm

The OnlyFans content creators aid she was left in agony following exposure to her allergy trigger through her partner's semen

The OnlyFans content creators aid she was left in agony following exposure to her allergy trigger through her partner’s semen

I have a nut allergy, should I be worried about an allergic reaction during sex?

Incidents of allergic reactions being triggered by traces of nuts in sexual fluids appear to be incredibly rare.

Only a few cases have ever been documented and given that nut allergies are relatively common, the risk appears to be small.

While there is some research on how diet can influence the make-up of sexual fluids, such as pineapple making semen sweeter, these studies tend limited due to few participants and deliver mixed results. 

The cases currently documented appear to have been triggered by recent consumption of nuts followed by sex without a condom so using one may alleviate the risk. 

General warnings for intimacy and allergies, like a partner thoroughly brushing teeth and washing hands after eating or touching an allergen still apply. 

She did not experience any problems when the couple used a condom, or when the man did not ejaculate. 

Tests found no sign of an infection, prompting medics to explore if she could have a rare allergic reaction to semen. 

But quick-thinking doctors, who reported the case in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, also noted the woman was allergic to both peanuts and tree nuts — a group that includes almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, pecans, pistachios, walnuts and macadamias.

They suggested her partner cut all types of nuts from his diet and see if the problem stopped.

And it worked, with the woman reporting no further complications in her sex life. 

The medics, who didn’t detail when the case occurred, did not report how many nuts the man ate or how long before sex he ingested them.

But they claimed that the case shows how targeted food elimination in partners can benefit people with allergies.

While incredibly rare, this isn’t the first time that nuts have caused discomfort in the bedroom.

OnlyFans star Lucy Banks, from Australia, revealed in April how an encounter with a peanut lover left her in agony.

Ms Banks, who makes about £33,500-per-month on the website, has an allergy to peanuts and, like any other sufferer, limits her exposure to them. 

But she suffered an unexpected allergic reaction in her vagina after her partner ate peanuts earlier in the day.

‘He had eaten peanuts earlier that day, and it transferred to me. I didn’t realise at the time that this was possible,’ she said.

‘I had never heard of food allergens transmitting and negatively affecting partners through ejaculation before,’ she said. 

Confirmed cases of nut allergies being trigged by contact with semen are extremely rare. 

One of the few other cases documented was detailed in a similar medical case report in the UK in 2007.

Doctors from Surrey reported that a 20-year-old woman with a known severe allergic reaction to Brazil nuts suffered a similar reaction through exposure to her boyfriend’s sperm.

This reaction occurred three hours after he ate between four and five nuts and despite him taking precautions like brushing his teeth and cleaning his nails before sex.

But the woman suffered a ‘significant itching and swelling of her vagina and vulva and felt faint even when sitting’ after the couple did not use a condom during sex.

Doctors initially assumed it was a severe allergic reaction to nuts, from kissing or skin to skin contact.

But after the pair explained their precautions, researchers doubted that the nut proteins had ended up in sweat or saliva, because the allergic reaction would have started earlier, and would have been triggered in other couples.

To be certain, doctors tested two semen samples from the man — one before, and one four hours after eating Brazil nuts.

They then performed a test on the girl, exposing her to the semen to see if there was a reaction. 

Her skin swelled up at the site where semen sample taken after nut consumption, confirming the researchers’ suspicions.

Very little is known about allergy triggers being transferred from digestion into semen and then potentially triggering an allergic reaction due to so few incidents being recorded. 

For example, it is unknown how many nuts a man needs to eat to transfer an allergen to his semen and how long this lasts after eating.

Whether similar reactions can occur in other food-based allergies like seafood is also unclear.

There are no guidelines for how to avoid an allergic reaction to nuts from semen given how incredibly rare such cases appear to be.

Nut allergies are relatively common, affecting approximately one in 50 children and around one in 200 adults in the UK.

They are slightly rarer in the US, affecting an estimated 1 per cent of the population.

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