A young man has had to avoid sexual intercourse due to a rare allergic reaction to his own orgasm. Doctors say the 27-year-old has been living with this condition for over a decade. In a recent report, medical experts say the man would experience flu-like symptoms anytime he ejaculated, forcing him to ‘actively’ avoid sex, DailyMail reports.
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Post-orgasmic illness syndrome
The gentleman, who has not been identified, is not the only one with this condition; there are about 60 cases of men with post-orgasmic illness syndrome (POIS). The flu-like symptoms – fever, cough, sneezing, muscle weakness – associated with this allergic reaction, occur not just through sexual intercourse with a partner, but after masturbation or spontaneously during sleep, the National Center for Advancing Transnational Sciences wrote.
Other symptoms include issues with speech, concentration and memory, lasting between two and seven days after ejaculation, according to the team of doctors who wrote about the patient in the medical journal, Urology Case Reports. Mr Shanholtzer, from Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine in the US is quoted in the DailyMail as saying there could be more cases of POIS globally.
Many health providers do not know about it, let alone the public. It is more than likely that it is under diagnosed, with many sufferers out there.
Possible causes
The underlying cause of POIS is unknown, but some scientists believe that in men, it is an autoimmune or allergic disorder that causes an inflammatory reaction to a substance in their own semen. Others in the field theorize that POIS may be caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain.
Whatever the cause might be, one can imagine the level of distress people with the condition and their partners go through as is the case of the 27-year-old man who doctors say:
Because of the distressing nature of his symptoms, he actively avoided any sexual activity or romantic relationships.
Thankfully, the symptoms go away by themselves within a maximum of one week.
Sources used:
DailyMail: The unluckiest chap in the world? Man, 27, is 'allergic to his own ORGASM' and suffers flu-like symptoms whenever he ejaculates
National Center for Advancing Transnational Sciences: Post-orgasmic illness syndrome
News Medical Net: Case report on the post-orgasmic illness treated with antihistamines
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⋙ Anorgasmia: The reason why you find it difficult to orgasm
