Trust is Key
Everybody loves an embarrassing story. Thus, my friends assume that right before I kiss someone, I put a hand up and say, “Have you eaten peanuts in the last several hours?” Obviously, that is not the case … that’s humiliating and not pragmatic.
Before I go out on a date, my girlfriend knows about my food allergies. I rely on trust. What is a relationship without trust? I know that safety comes first, but there is only so much that I can do. Once my date knows about it, I cannot control what she eats; only she can control that. I have to trust her not to eat anything to which I am allergic. This has not been problematic thus far. My ex-girlfriend, on her own accord, chose not to eat peanuts.
In middle school, I had a girlfriend who didn’t understand food allergies. She was not happy with how the relationship turned out, and tried to give me peanuts by putting peanuts near me or something of that sort. This, however, is an uncharacteristic reaction, and if she really wanted to hurt me, then she failed. I cannot, however, live life fearing that anyone else I am close to would want to do these things.
Of course, even on a date, no matter where I am, I always have my epinephrine auto-injector as a precaution. I also have dissolvable Benadryl® in my wallet. So even if the trust fails, and she accidentally eats peanuts or other nuts, I am ready.
I read a study that concluded that four hours after eating peanuts, the allergen was undetectable in the mouth. So I know that if I have been on a date with a girl for more than four hours, it is probably safe to kiss her. However, trust is a bigger factor for me than that.
