Nov 24, 1997
aside from STD, is ingestion of semen harmfull to health?...what is it made of?
| Response from Mr. Sowadsky
Hi. Thank you for your question. Semen is a fluid containing sperm cells, surrounded by a thick fluid. White blood cells can sometimes be found in semen as well. Aside from the well-known risks of HIV and other STDs, semen will not pose a health risk to most people. However, some persons have been found to have an allergic reaction to semen, although this is quite rare. There has been some suggestion that semen may have an effect on the immune system. However, I am not aware of any clinical case reports where a persons immune system was damaged from exposure to semen. At this point in time, any clinical effect of semen on the immune system is more of a theoretical risk, rather than a proven health risk. Other than the health risks from HIV/STD, and the rare cases of allergic responses to semen, for the vast majority of people, ingestion of semen has no proven harmful effects on the body.
If you have any further questions, please feel free to call the Centers for Disease Control at 1.800.232.4636 (Nationwide).
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