Successful pregnancy in a woman with a human seminal plasma allergy. A case report.
BACKGROUND
Human seminal plasma allergy is an anaphylaxis caused by immediate hypersensitivity to human seminal plasma. The utilization of a condom is usually recommended as the primary means of preventing an allergic reaction. Infertility resulting from condom use, however, is an undesirable complication in many cases. Here we report on a successfully established pregnancy in a woman with seminal plasma allergy.


METHODS
A 29-year-old, married nulligravida with a human seminal plasma allergy consulted us to conceive. She showed a positive reaction to a skin-prick test with whole semen. In order to remove the seminal plasma, the sperm were washed three times using a continuous-step density gradient centrifugation method. Artificial insemination with the washed sperm was performed without anaphylactic symptoms. After six inseminations, pregnancy was achieved, and a healthy infant was delivered.


CONCLUSIONS
Artificial insemination with sperm devoid of seminal plasma was very useful for establishing pregnancy in a woman with a human seminal plasma allergy.
D000328:Adult; D000707:Anaphylaxis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D017280:Condoms; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007317:Insemination, Artificial, Homologous / Q000379:methods; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D012661:Semen / Q000276:immunology*; D012882:Skin Tests