Medical history was made in January when the Irish Medical Journal published a case study detailing one man’s “inventive” homemade cure for back pain.
“This is the first reported case of semen injection for use as a medical treatment,” the case study, titled “‘Semenly’ Harmless Back Pain: An Unusual Presentation of a Subcutaneous Abscess.”
Yes, you read that right. The unidentified, 33-year-old Irishman gave himself monthly doses of his own semen for 18 months believing that it would help him cure his chronic back pain. The question (other than “WHY?!”) is, “…Deeid it work?” Apparently not.
The subject of the study was discovered during a check up, which the man scheduled after suffering "severe, sudden onset lower pack pain" after lifting a "heavy steel object" three days earlier. But his doctor was less interested in the patient’s back and more interested in the ominous red patch bulging out of his right forearm.
The man admitted to his doctor that the swelling must have been the result of the doses of semen he had injected into his blood vessels and muscles with a hypodermic needle he purchased online.
Further examination found that the injected area of his arm had hardened and an x-ray showed that trapped air was beneath his skin. He was immediately hospitalized and was given intravenous antimicrobial therapy. Eventually, his back pain had improved and he discharged himself.
The authors of the case study concluded with the warning that untrained people injecting substances not meant for intravenous injections into their own bodies are only causing themselves further potential harm.
While that may not be a surprise to many, using a man injecting semen into his veins as an example is one we certainly did not see coming.
What do you think? Is this oddest case study in medical history, or does reading this ruin your own homemade back pain cure? Let us know in the comments below!