Aa
Aa
A
A
A
Close
Avatar universal

Possible contact dermatitis caused by condoms, but not the latex?

Hoping someone might be able to help me with this, ok long story...

I suffer from allergies generally and contact dermatitis on several parts of my body, basically my skin is super intolerant to many things. I've always had an issue where after using a condom the skin on my penis would become dry and incredibly itchy (usually the next day) and I would involuntarily itch in my sleep, sometimes making it very sore.

Recently the reaction I had was quite severe, the skin was so dry that it cracked and left sore open lesions. I went to the doctor and he said I should be tested for STIs in case it were herpes. I had a range of tests for all the main STIs which all came back negative. I should state that I'm in a monogamous relationship and my girlfriend has also tested negative for STIs.

I assumed it to be a latex allergy, so after I was better I tried a few different latex-free condoms but they still irritated me like before. I have even tried "vegan friendly" condoms that claim to use no irritating chemicals with no luck. I also went for allergy tests and came back negative for latex allergy. At this point I can only guess that it could be something in the vulcanisation process, or something to do with the lubrication used on the condom. (this information is very hard to come by, as manufacturers rarely state what their lube contains.)

If anyone has experienced anything like this, or has any information that could help me uncover the cause, I would be so grateful!
0 Responses
Sort by: Helpful Oldest Newest
Have an Answer?

You are reading content posted in the Dermatology Community

Top Dermatology Answerers
Learn About Top Answerers
Didn't find the answer you were looking for?
Ask a question
Popular Resources
Learn to identify and prevent bites from summer’s most common pests.
Doctors argue for legislation to curb this dangerous teen trend in the latest Missouri Medicine report.
10 ways to keep your skin healthy all winter long
How to get rid of lumpy fat on your arms, hips, thighs and bottom
Diet “do’s” and “don’ts” for healthy, radiant skin.
Images of rashes caused by common skin conditions