A young woman sustained horrific and unthinkable internal injuries after a sex toy she was wearing was violently dragged through her body by the powerful magnets of an MRI scanner.
The Catastrophic Incident
The alarming event took place at a US hospital in July 2023. The 22-year-old patient, who was due to undergo a magnetic resonance imaging scan, had inserted a sex toy, described as a butt plug, prior to the procedure. She reportedly believed the item was made entirely of silicone and did not disclose its presence to hospital staff during the standard pre-scan safety screening.
This assumption proved to be catastrophically wrong. The toy contained a metal core. When the MRI scanner was activated, its immensely powerful magnetic field interacted with the concealed metal, causing the object to be violently ripped from her rectum and pulled upwards through her body. Online reports and a subsequently circulated image suggested the toy was pulled into her chest cavity.
Official Report and Aftermath
An official report from the US Department of Health and Human Services, seen by The Mirror, detailed the aftermath. It stated that the patient began screaming as the scan table was being moved. She reported feeling nauseous, in severe pain, and on the verge of fainting. An ambulance was called, and she was transported to a hospital for emergency treatment. The report noted that the patient survived but sustained "major injuries," and that follow-up calls to check on her condition went unanswered.
The incident sparked warnings on social media, with one user on X (formerly Twitter), DreadPirateZero, sharing an image with the stark advice: "Never wear a butt plug to your MRI appointment. My God."
A Stark Reminder of MRI Dangers
This traumatic event underscores the critical, non-negotiable importance of MRI safety protocols. MRI scanners use immensely strong magnets to create detailed internal images. Any ferromagnetic object—meaning objects containing iron, nickel, cobalt, or some steels—can become a dangerous projectile in the scan room, causing serious injury or death.
Radiographers routinely question patients about implants, piercings, and any metal on or in their body. This case highlights the necessity for complete and honest disclosure by patients, even regarding intimate items they may believe are safe.
This is not an isolated tragedy. In January 2023, a man's gun accidentally discharged when pulled by an MRI magnet, firing a bullet into his abdomen. In a separate fatal incident in the US, 61-year-old Keith McAllister was killed in Nassau Open MRI in Westbury, Long Island, after the machine's magnet pulled him in by a heavy metal weight-training chain he was wearing. His wife, Adrienne Jones-McAllister, witnessed the horrific event, recounting how the machine "snatched him" before he suffered fatal injuries.
These repeated incidents serve as a grim reminder: the powerful technology that saves lives through diagnosis must be treated with utmost respect and caution by both medical staff and patients to prevent avoidable disasters.
