Scarleteen

Hi there,
I was wondering what the signs of a latex allergy are? Every time I use a condom it leaves a burning, almost searing pain and lasts for up to an hour. Sometimes I notice swelling. Those are the only signs, but it's bad enough that many times I've had to stop sex because it hurts so much.

Also, if I decided I needed to use latex-free condoms, is it true that they're more prone to breakage? Pregnancy is something I absolutely want to avoid so I can't risk using a condom that is more likely to break; it would make me very nervous.

Thank you for your help and for providing such great information!

If you're worried about a latex allergy, you could definitely talk it over with a doctor; they'd be able to do a test for certain. You might be able to get a better idea if you were to, say, take a condom and just hold it on your arm for a bit to see what happens, but doing a real test with a doctor is going to be much more accurate. Pain and swelling can be associated with a reaction to latex, but it could be due to other factors as well.

What kind of lubricant are you using? If you have condoms that come with spermicidal lubricant or are using a lube with spermicide, you may be having a reaction to that; some people report discomfort with spermicides. If you aren't using any sort of lube at all, that could also be the issue. So if you aren't using a gentle, natural lubricant with unlubricated/nonspermicidally lubricated condoms, I'd try that first.

We have some information about non-latex condoms in this article: Your Map to the Condom Aisle It is true that they are slightly less sturdy than latex condoms, but they're still going to be fairly effective, and storing & using them properly will go a long way towards making sure they don't break. Keep in mind too that internal condoms are also latex-free, so that might be something to investigate.

Good idea, I'll ask my doctor about it the next time I go in. I used the lubricant given to me by Planned Parenthood for a while, but I noticed that was making it much much worse and I reacted to that very strongly. I've been using condoms that are non spermicidal and are pre lubricated. I've tried a couple different brands and I've had the same problem every time. But I think the next step is just to ask my doctor.

Thanks for the article link, I'll look into it!