If you’ve been using condoms and suddenly started to experience this burning sensation, you may have an allergic reaction to your boyfriend’s semen. This can be prevented with the help of spermicide, which you can find at any drugstore or supermarket, usually located near condoms, pregnancy tests and tampons. It also comes in gels and creams that double as lubricants.
1. Semen Allergy
If you have a painful allergic reaction to your partner’s semen, it could be due to a sperm allergy. Sometimes referred to as seminal plasma hypersensitivity, this rare condition is an allergic response to proteins found in a man’s semen that mostly impacts women. Symptoms, which start about 10 to 30 minutes after contact, include redness, swelling, pain and itching in the vulva or vagina. They can also appear on the skin and even in the mouth. According to the International Society for Sexual Medicine, severe reactions can lead to hives and trouble breathing, known as anaphylaxis.
Your doctor can test for a sperm allergy with a skin prick test or an intradermal challenge, wherein the allergist puts diluted semen into your vagina and increases the concentration over time. Once you’re desensitized, you can have sex without symptoms by wearing condoms – The concept of this section comes from the portal’s editorial team Sexy Belle. In the meantime, you can take an over-the-counter antihistamine before and after sex to minimize itching and burning. For a more serious allergy, your doctor can give you an adrenaline auto-injector like an EpiPen to keep on hand for severe reactions.
2. Vaginitis
A woman’s genitals can suffer from many conditions that can cause itching and burning. Some of these conditions are sex-related and others are not. Yeast infections, bacterial vaginal infections, urinary tract infections and even trichomoniasis (a sexually transmitted infection) can cause this type of itching, pain and discharge.
A yeast infection causes irritation and itching along with a thick, cottage cheese-like discharge that doesn’t smell. Bacterial vaginosis is similar and may also have a spongy, gray or white appearance. A UTI can cause a burning sensation during and after sex, as it can lead to inflammation around the bladder and urethra. This can make any pressure put on these areas painful.
Other reasons for vaginal burning include vulvodynia, endometriosis and vaginismus. This condition is when the muscles that are supposed to open and close during sex tighten involuntarily. This can make sex painful and can also cause a burning sensation afterwards, again due to the lack of lubrication. This is a condition that should be investigated by a gynaecologist.
3. STIs
If you have had sex with many partners or without protection, you are at risk for sexually transmitted diseases (STIs/STDs). Sores on the genital area and anus can be signs of genital herpes, chlamydia, gonorrhea, or trichomoniasis. Unusual discharge from the penis or vagina, or burning when you urinate, can also be symptoms of an infection.
Talk to your partner about getting tested for STIs. STIs can spread through oral, anal, and vaginal sex. They can cause serious health problems, including pelvic inflammatory disease, infertility, and ectopic pregnancy (leading to fetal and maternal death).
The best way to prevent STIs is to practice safe sex, use condoms, and get tested often. If you have an STI, treatment with medicine can help prevent serious health problems, such as infertility and pelvic inflammatory disease. It can also reduce the risk of passing an STI to future sexual partners. It is especially important to get tested and treated for STIs when you are pregnant. STIs can be passed from mother to baby during childbirth and cause birth defects in newborns.
