BEIJING (SCMP): A man in China has been hospitalised and had part of his small intestine removed after undergoing a painful three-hour childbirth simulation at his girlfriend’s request.
According to the mainland news outlet NetEase News, a woman from Henan province in central China took her boyfriend to a labour pain simulation centre as a “test” before their marriage.
The unidentified woman said on social media that her mother and sister believed her boyfriend should experience women’s challenges before engagement to ensure he would treat his future wife better.
After initially rejecting the idea, the boyfriend eventually gave in and accepted the challenge.
The experience used electric currents to stimulate the skin and muscles, simulating the pain of uterine contractions during labour.
The woman said the first 90 minutes involved manually increasing the level of pain, with the intensity remaining at the maximum level for the rest of the session.
She wrote: “My boyfriend started screaming and struggling at level 8, swearing and crying at level 10, and by the end, he was gasping for air. My sister and I kept wiping his sweat.”
Afterwards, she said he was drenched in sweat, exhausted, and suffered from abdominal pain and vomiting.
The woman explained to him that neither she nor her family intended to hurt him, but wanted him to understand the hardships his wife would have to endure for him.
However, a week later, the man was hospitalised with worsening abdominal pain. Doctors discovered that part of his small intestine had been irrevocably damaged.
The woman said her boyfriend’s mother warned her not to visit him in hospital, saying they had cancelled the engagement and were preparing to sue her.
She wrote: “I was told my boyfriend had part of his small intestine removed. I am willing to take full responsibility as long as he recovers.”
As of writing, the man’s condition had not been disclosed.
A lawyer said if the injury assessment links the damage to the man’s body to the childbirth simulation, his girlfriend could be held financially liable.
In China, anyone who causes personal injury must compensate for medical, nursing, transportation, nutrition, and other rehabilitation costs.
The incident sparked a heated debate on mainland social media.
One online observer said: “Typical labour pain lasts at most 10 minutes. This girlfriend and her family seem crazy.”
Another person said: “The pain women endure during childbirth is a complex mix of physical and emotional reactions that cannot be truly simulated.”
“Many women now choose painless labour. This woman’s actions should have legal consequences,” they added.
“True love does not need testing, time will prove everything,” said a third. - South China Morning Post
