Let's Talk About: Latex Allergies
Hello everyone! How I’ve missed you during my year-long hiatus.
Let’s start with a pretty straight-forward topic. Latex Allergies. We’ve all heard of them, but what are they? Where do they come from? And how do they affect sexual health?
Let me begin by saying if you believe you might have a latex allergy you should speak with a doctor about it. There are a couple different types of latex allergies that range in severity from mild skin irritation to full anaphylaxis. For the purposes of our discussion we’ll mostly be discussing the contact reactions, as that is the by far the most common and also the one most closely related to sexual health. However, please bear in mind that latex allergies can be severe and life threatening so please be respectful if you know someone who has one.
Some quick background information:
An allergy is when the body induces an immune response when exposed to a substance. Usually it reacts to something that is not actually dangerous, such as pollen, dander, or dust. Allergies can affect almost any system in the body, but are usually most prevalent in the respiratory, digestive, and dermal systems.
Latex is a substance produced naturally by many plants. It’s not sap, but rather a milky white substance that’s created primarily for defensive and protective reasons. Many plants produce different types of naturally occuring latex. Some varieties of lates are very useful to humans and are processed into a rubber type product. Latex allergies occur when exposed to some of the compounds found in natural latex rubbers.
It is possible to develop a latex allergy when you previously did not have one. This happens most commonly in exposure to things like medical gloves, balloons and condoms. Because of this the rate of latex allergies is much higher among health care professionals like nurses than it is among the general population. Many doctors and hosptials have moved away from using latex gloves and now use Nitrile instead.
Condoms are a common source of latex for a lot of people. Most brands of commercially available condoms are made from latex because it’s stretchy, durable, cheap, and very thin, making it perfect for condoms. However it’s very easy to find latex-free condoms almost anywhere you can buy regular condoms. You can find latex-free condoms at any major drug store or box store chain right alongside the regular latex condoms and they are usually only a few cents more per package.
One myth about latex free condoms is that they are made from sheep’s intestines. This is simply not true. While animal intestines were used for the earliest condoms a very long time ago, they are generally not available today. I believe you can special order them, but they are not as effective at STI prevention as the other latex-free alternatives. Intestines are semi-permeable, meaning they have very small holes in them which allows the body to absorb nutrients from the intestines. While these holes are small enough that sperm generally can not pass through them, small viruses such as HIV can. I generally do not recommend intestine condoms for regular use, as they are expensive, had to find, and not as effective as one might like.
Commercially available latex free condoms are most often made from a very thin polyurethane. In my experience I’ve found latex-free condoms to be the same as typical latex ones.
Lately I’ve seen a lot of information floating around the internet about “vegan condoms”. Which at first surprised me, after all, why wouldn’t a condom be vegan? Latex is a plant derivative so it struck me as strange that companies would be marketing their condoms as ‘vegan”. I found this a bit alarming as declaring something as necessary and life-saving as condoms as “non-vegan” and “full of chemicals” as these ads often do is dangerous and could dissuade people from using them all together. Many “vegan” condoms are much more expensive than your average run of the mill latex or even non-latex condom.
What I found was that it is true that some brands of condoms use casein, a milk derivative, in their latex production to smooth out the latex. However, I was not able to find a reliable source of information on which brands use it, if any. Most information I found was from sources that were marketing “vegan” alternatives. Although what brand of condom you and your sexual partners choose to use is a matter of personal choice and if you prefer one of those brands you should absolutely use it, it is unnecessary for every vegan to make the switch to products specifically marketed as “vegan”.
If you are concerned about the use of casein in condoms for health or ethical reasons, you can absolutely use any non-latex condom on the market. None of them are processed with latex and are not processed with casein.
Latex can also be found in some sex toys and lubes. Lube is a critical part of many people’s sex life, and I can’t recommend it highly enough. More lube is almost never a bad idea. Water based and silicone based lubricants do not contain latex. Just make sure that you use water based lube for any latex condoms and with silicone sex toys, silicone based lubes can break down latex condoms and silicone sex toys.
Most sex toys are silicone based and don’t contain latex. However there are a few out there, often the cheapest ones, so be careful when choosing your toys. Especially for internal use. If you are sensitive to latex make sure to double check labels of toys. Most reputable sex toy producers will have lists of ingredients available for their products either publicly available or available by request.
That’s all I have for you this week. Keep your eyes peeled for new content and please always feel free to message me on Facebook or Instagram with any questions or if there’s something you’d like to see me cover in an upcoming article.
Until next time, Stay safe, you are worth protecting
-Erin