The Yulex Patient Examination Glove is derived from guayule latex taken from the guayule bush, a desert plant native to the southwestern United States. Traditional latex is made from the sap of a rubber tree. A protein in that sap probably triggers latex allergies. On first exposure to the Yulex gloves, even people who are highly allergic to traditional latex don't react-possibly because the new latex doesn't contain the offending protein.
According to the FDA, from 3% to 22% of all health care workers are sensitized to traditional latex. Reactions range from mild localized skin irritation to life-threatening anaphylaxis. No data is available on the effect of long-term exposure to the Yulex glove, so its packaging will warn about the potential for allergic reactions.