DOCTORS were left stunned when they discovered a woman had stuck a metal spring in her vagina to stop herself getting pregnant.

The unnamed mum-of-three, from China, was reportedly trying to prevent a fourth pregnancy with the dangerous DIY method.

2 An X-ray showing the spring stuck inside the woman's cervix after she thought it would work as a form of contraception Credit: AsiaWire

It is suspected that the 31-year-old mistakenly believed any spring would act like an Intrauterine device (IUD).

Commonly known as a coil because the copper wire is coiled around the plastic, the contraceptive device needs to be inserted by a medical professional.

But it is not the same thing as an ordinary metal spring, and unsurprisingly it didn't stop the woman getting pregnant for a fourth time.

She arrived at Minzhong Hospital in the city of Zhongshan in South China's Guangdong Province, in July requesting an abortion.



Spring discovery

The woman was five months pregnant so gynaecologist Fu Junhong decided to check the health of the baby.

But that was when he discovered the spring.

Dr Fu said: "She was five months pregnant and came to our hospital for an abortion procedure.

"During our checks, we found rings lodged between her vagina and cervix - it was a spring which had already been enveloped by her vaginal tissue."

The spring measuring 2in (5cm) across and was stuck in her body, and required emergency surgery to remove.

She thought inserting a spring into her body would prevent further pregnancies Dr Fu Junhong

Dr Fu added: "She thought inserting a spring into her body would prevent further pregnancies.

"She found it on the floor of her workshop. She picked it up, gave it a wash and then inserted it. It is unclear what she does for a living.

"She did by herself about half a year ago. It was greatly unscientific, and very unhygienic."

The medic added: "We couldn't get it out during the operation, so our surgeons used a pair of pliers and cut the spring apart, and we removed it piece by piece."

The coils were cut into seven individual pieces, which were extracted from the patient's body in an operation lasting 40 minutes, the hospital said.

2 The metal spring was removed in seven pieces during surgery Credit: AsiaWire

MORE ON WOMEN'S HEALTH Graphic Warning 'LIVING NIGHTMARE' My nipple fell off after breast surgery abroad left me with gaping hole PAINFUL CONDITION What is lipoedema? Five symptoms to know after Love Island star diagnosis VIRAL SURGE Women between 20 and 40 'bearing brunt' of second Covid wave NAILED IT From arthritis to anaemia... what your fingernails say about your health BAD HABITS? From skin picking to hair pulling - what your repetitive behaviours REALLY mean VAGI-NAH TikTok user reveals bleach stain in knickers - and why your vagina is to blame GYNAE 101 Thrush is contagious - and 5 other vagina myths you should NEVER believe KNOW THE SIGNS The 4 ways to know if bleeding down below could be a sign of cancer PAUSE FOR THOUGHT Premenopausal women ‘less likely to die of heart attack’, study shows TURN BACK TIME How your body ages from boobs to bum and top tips to turn back the clock

Dr Fu said: "Fortunately, she suffered no tissue damage or infections, otherwise she'd have suffered a lot."

He did not say whether the mum continued with the abortion, which is only prohibited six months into a pregnancy, but allowed further along if required under special circumstances.

Dr Fu advised the public to use "normal" birth control methods such as condoms or pills instead.

We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at tips@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4368 . You can WhatsApp us on 07810 791 502. We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours.