CARNAL NATION

Things were just starting to get good and he put on the condom... and then all of a sudden he turned red and started wheezing!

A tricky situation. On one hand, turning red, heavy breathing, and sweatiness can be signs that your partner is very, very turned on, which is Good Thing. They can also be signs of a latex allergy, which is a Bad Thing: latex allergies are real, are getting more and more common, and can be very dangerous. To find out which is going on, you have to ask.

If he's turned on, keep doing what you're doing. If he's allergic, this can be a life-and-death situation. First, get the condom, glove, or whatever other latex items is causing the problem off his body. (Latex allergies can also affect the receptive partner; if this is the case, remove the latex-clad part from whichever orifice it's in.) Depending on the severity of the attack, you can have him take his allergy medicine, take him to the emergency room, or call 911 for an ambulance. If he's having trouble breathing, call 911 immediately—anaphylactic reactions, which is what your partner is having, can kill in a matter of minutes.

Once someone knows they have a serious latex allergy, they can get a prescription for a device called an Epi-Pen that administers a fast injection of epinephrine, which will help control the allergic reaction. If there's no Epi-Pen around, an over-the-counter asthma inhaler containing epinephrine can also help. If the person can still swallow, even over-the-counter diphenhydramine (e.g., Benadryl and similar anti-allergy medications) might help.

For people with latex sensitivities, polyurethane condoms, and gloves are widely available these days and work very well.