While some teenagers are challenging politicians on gun control, other teenagers are doing ridiculous online 'challenges' in a bid for attention. It seemed like these trends hit peak stupidity with the 'Tide Pod Challenge,' in which people bit squishy detergent packets and spat out the soapy goo. But now there's a new disgusting craze: the 'Condom Challenge.' Participants snort a latex condom through their nostril, so that it slides down the back of their throat, and then they remove the contraceptive from their mouth. (And then, I assume, their parents feel great shame.)
In news that will not surprise you, doctors do not recommend snorting unwrapped condoms. Since the gross trend came surging back in popularity, health experts have weighed in, explaining why you should you pass on this dare. (Besides the fact that it's so dumb.) Obviously, there's a serious choking risk. If the condom gets stuck en route from your nostril to your mouth, it could block your airways, so that you are unable to breathe. Also, the rubber is coated with lubricant, which could cause irritation and even set off an allergic reaction. It is not a thing you should snort.
Bruce Y. Lee, an associate professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, wrote an article about the challenge for Forbes Magazine. "Even if you manage to successfully pull the condom out through your mouth," writes Lee, " inhaling a condom up your nose would be very uncomfortable and potentially quite painful. Would it really be worth all that just to get more likes and views?" He has a point. The worst case scenario is that you hurt yourself, and the best case scenario is that you become famous for doing something stupid.
Lee goes on to cite a case report from the Journal of Medical Case Reports, in which a 26-year-old woman accidentally swallowed a condom while performing oral sex. Typically if you swallow a condom, it will just pass through your system. But in this young lady's case, a fragment of the condom became lodged in her appendix, and she subsequently developed appendicitis. Considering how great the risks are, deliberately snorting or swallowing a condom hardly seems worth it.
The challenge's appeal clearly lies in the danger and the shock value. But just because you can do it doesn't mean you should. Physician Dr. Joe Kosterich told Metro, "Although [inhaling a condom] is highly unlikely to be fatal it could trigger a coughing fit in some. The nasal linings could get irritated but this would be annoying rather than serious." He adds that if something goes horribly wrong , your trip to the E.R. will be pretty embarrassing. In fact, everything about this craze is pretty embarrassing.
So, teenagers, if you're not going to listen to your parents, hopefully you listen to these health experts. This challenge has no winners.
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