Anyone whos fallen off a bed or taken an elbow to the face knows that.
Maybe you were going down on your partner and opened your eyes at precisely the wrong time.
Perhaps you or your partner wasmasturbatingand that semen really went the distance.
Getty / Morgan Johnson
Either way, here you are.
What do you do now?
Getting semen in your eye typically isnt harmful, but it can hurt like hell.
If your first step is to freak out, thats totally understandable.
Rinse out your eye as soon as you might.
Everyone should have a sterile eyewash made of purified water for emergencies like this, Dr. Gorski says.
You should be able to find one at any drug store or online.
If you dont have eyewash handy, use cool, clean water to flush out your eye.
A bottle of plain, purified drinking water works great.
(Double-check that its not flavored or sparkling, we beg of you.)
Turn your head to the side, then pour the water over your open eye.
(Hold your eyelid open to make this easier.)
Whatever you do, resist the urge to dumpsoapinto your eye.
Youre not trying towashyour eye, just rinse it.
Adding soap to the situation would basically punish your eyeball even more.
You might want to get tested for sexually transmitted infections.
I know, sounds ridiculous, but hear us out.
Your eye doctor would be great for this, but aprimary care doctorcan work, too.
Symptoms include redness, tearing, and discharge, according to theMerck Manual.
Its definitely possible to wind up with chlamydia conjunctivitis after a semen/eyeball incident.
Its a similar situation with gonorrhea, caused byNeisseria gonorrhoeaebacteria, theMayo Clinicnotes.
Another STI that can show up in the eyes isherpes.
Itmay also cause symptoms of conjunctivitislike redness, tearing, and discharge.
This actuallyhappens often in childrenwho first encounter a herpes simplex or varicella zoster virus somewhere like the playground.
You might be wondering about HIV.
When taken within 72 hours of exposure, this medication can help lower the risk of contracting HIV.
Be really honest with your doctor so they can fire off the right tests.
Tell your doctor what happened so that they can more quickly narrow down the cause of your symptoms.
Youll probably be totally fine after getting semen in your eye.
Its rare to see any major issues arise from this situation, Dr. Gorski says.
Dont hold back on the trutha good doctor shouldnt even bat an eye.
