Dating Dos and Don'ts

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For those with food allergies, dating brings yet another facet of food allergy management. Discussing the potential for food allergy reactions with someone you are newly dating can be awkward, but it’s a conversation that is absolutely essential for your safety. Here are some dos and don’ts for dating with food allergies:

Dos

  • Do explain your food allergies, including the symptoms of a reaction, the foods you must avoid, and how to treat a reaction.
  • Do stay informed. A 2006 study on kissing and peanut allergy, in which peanut allergen levels were measured in study participants’ saliva, showed that peanut levels varied whether the participant brushed their teeth, rinsed, or did neither. It’s best to wait a period of at least four hours before kissing.  
  • Do set up parameters before getting intimate. Ask your date to brush, rinse, and floss teeth thoroughly if he or she is going to eat a food to which you are allergic, and then wait at least four hours before kissing. Watch out for hidden dangers, too, such as off-limit ingredients in lip balm.

Don’ts

  • Don’t hide your food allergy. You don’t want to experience a reaction because your date or others (i.e., food service staff) were unaware of your food allergy.
  • Don’t downplay your food allergy. You cannot help it if you have food allergies, and your date should understand this.  If he or she does not take your food allergy seriously or does not respect your diet, ask yourself if this person is really worth being with.
  • Don’t be shy – teach your date how to use an epinephrine auto-injector, if you are prescribed one.