For those who suffer from long-term back pain, the discomfort can be overwhelming and often drives people to try almost anything for relief.
However, it’s important to understand that avoiding professional medical care can be risky. In some cases, it may lead to severe or even life-threatening outcomes — as an Irish man unfortunately learned through personal experience.
While examining him, doctors noticed that his arm appeared red and swollen, which raised their concerns and led them to ask the man more questions.
It was during this questioning that the medical team discovered his back pain wasn’t a new issue. In fact, he had been injecting himself with semen for the past 18 months in an attempt to treat his recurring pain — all without ever seeking professional advice.

An X-ray was performed, and the results showed that he had subcutaneous emphysema along with a collection of semen within the muscle tissue. Because of this, he had to be urgently treated with antibacterial medication.
According to Cleveland Clinic, subcutaneous emphysema is considered a rare condition. It occurs when air becomes trapped underneath the skin, which can lead to swelling and discomfort.

A detailed report about the incident was later published in the Irish Medical Journal (IMJ). Dr. Lisa Dunne, who led the research, wrote: “Upon further interrogation of this alternative therapy, he revealed he had injected one monthly ‘dose’ of semen for 18 consecutive months using a hypodermic needle which had been purchased online.”
According to experts, this appeared to be the first known case of someone injecting semen into a human body. Although this practice has been observed in some animal experiments, it was completely unprecedented in humans.

“A search of more eclectic internet sites and forums found no other documentation of semen injection for back pain treatment or other uses.”
The IMJ article also issued a very serious warning, discouraging others from trying to replicate this man’s unorthodox treatment at home.
“The case also demonstrates the risks involved with medical experimentation prior to extensive clinical research in the form of phased trials inclusive of safety and efficacy assessments.”