Dutch scientists - You could be allergic to your own semen - Polidicks

[release]Men who come down with a flu-like illness after having sex may have an allergy to their own semen, say Dutch scientists. The condition, known as post orgasmic illness syndrome, causes feverishness, runny nose, extreme fatigue and burning eyes. The symptoms appear minutes after climax and last for up to a week. The mysterious syndrome has been documented in medical journals since 2002, but little was known about what caused it and how it could be treated. Professor Marcel Waldinger from Utrecht University has now published two studies in the Journal of Sexual medicine, which answer both these questions. The first found that the syndrome is probably caused by an allergic reaction to semen, while the second suggests hyposensitisation therapy could help affected men. 'These results are a very important breakthrough in the research of this syndrome,' Professor Waldinger said. He added that the findings 'contradict the idea that the complaints have a psychological cause.' It could prove a relief to sufferers, who experts say often feel confused and ashamed about the condition. Professor Waldinger and his team analysed 45 Dutch men who were diagnosed with the illness. 'They didn't feel ill when they masturbated without ejaculating, but as soon as the semen came from the testes... after that they became ill, sometimes within just a few minutes,' he said. Thirty-three of them agreed to undergo a standard skin-prick allergy test using a diluted form of their own semen. Of those, 29, or 88 per cent, had a positive skin reaction indicating an auto-immune response, or allergic reaction. In a second study in the same journal the team treated two of the volunteers with hyposensitisation therapy - a well-known technique for treating allergies. It repeatedly exposes the body to small but gradually increasing amounts of the allergen over several years. They found that the men showed a significantly reduction in their POIS symptoms after one and three years. Professor Waldinger's team has now started several more POIS patients on hyposensitisation therapy. [/release] Sauce: [url]http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1348200/Semen-allergy-Rare-condition-cause-flu-symptoms.html#ixzz1BQlZznh9[/url] It might explain that rash in your belly button

That's nasty.

[QUOTE=Winchesterau;27507922]That's nasty.[/QUOTE] You must be new to facepunch [editline]4838[/editline] Yep.

i knew some women have an allergic reaction, so this isnt too out there

Oh shit.

Aaaah, so that's what that is. I just thought I had battery fluid instead of semen.

[QUOTE=ROFLBURGER;27507856] The condition, known as post orgasmic illness syndrome [/QUOTE] Imagine telling your doctor you have this syndrome :v:

[QUOTE=AlienFanatic;27507966]i knew some women have an allergic reaction, so this isnt too out there[/QUOTE] How would they reproduce?

[QUOTE=supersnail11;27508120]How would they reproduce?[/QUOTE] .... The semen will still reach the egg, but the vagina would have a bad rash

[QUOTE=supersnail11;27508120]How would they reproduce?[/QUOTE] very carefully.

Best day at the lab. [editline]18th January 2011[/editline] Ever

[QUOTE=ThatHippyMan;27508186]Best day at the lab. [editline]18th January 2011[/editline] Ever[/QUOTE] What about when they were studying condoms?

[QUOTE=supersnail11;27508546]What about when they were studying condoms?[/QUOTE] Sans the light chafing, not a bad day.

[QUOTE=supersnail11;27508120]How would they reproduce?[/QUOTE] They don't. If a woman is allergic to a man's semen, the sperm would be attack on sight by the woman's immune system. If the woman wants to get pregnant, she will either need to go through alternative forms of impregnation or donor sperm.

[QUOTE=ExplodingGuy;27508989]They don't. If a woman is allergic to a man's semen, the sperm would be attack on sight by the woman's immune system. If the woman wants to get pregnant, she will either need to go through alternative forms of impregnation or donor sperm.[/QUOTE] Your thinking of an autoimmune disease. You're body doesn't attack allergens, but it does attack all microorganisms that are foreign to it -- so this already happens to some extent but obviously does not prevent pregnancy. This is why billions of sperm come out of every ejaculation, because most of them die or get lost and don't make it to the egg.

[QUOTE=ROFLBURGER;27507960]You must be new to facepunch [editline]4838[/editline] Yep.[/QUOTE] You must be a retard.

So that explains why my bellybutton always gets red :shobon:

Is this genetic? Was this nature's way of preventing inbreeding?

No wonder were always trying to get rid of it.

thats awesome