Many people have carried a penicillin-allergy label since childhood—sometimes because of a rash that occurred decades ago. But research continues to show that most people who carry a penicillin-allergy label are not actually allergic today. In a newly reported study of low-risk college students, 101 of 102 patients safely passed a supervised oral penicillin or amoxicillin challenge, with no severe allergic reactions.

Why does removing an incorrect allergy matter? If penicillin is unnecessarily avoided, patients may receive broader-spectrum antibiotics that can have more side effects, cost more and contribute to antibiotic resistance. For people whose history suggests a low risk of true allergy, an allergist can determine whether testing or a supervised oral challenge is appropriate. Don’t try penicillin on your own—but don’t assume an allergy label from childhood has to follow you for life either.