Little Rock, Arkansas – A 28-year-old Arkansas woman is recovering in a Little Rock hospital after her choice of contraception created a very unusual side effect. Kristen Sullivan says it all began when she read and article on Facebook that claimed cotton balls could be used to prevent pregnancy during intercourse. Sullivan said her financial situation, and a love for sex, gave her no choice but to try this “less expensive” course of birth control.
“I’m too young to have kids, can’t afford them either, and I don’t believe in abortion,” said Sullivan. “So I thought, ‘what the hell, I can get a bag of 500 cotton balls for like $1.29 at Walmart.’ So I invited my boyfriend over, shoved about 10 cotton balls up there and figured I was good. But after a couple weeks, the stench in my crotch got awful. Thought I had a yeast infection, I guess not. I was apparently growing leaves and sh*t up there.”
Doctors say Sullivan suffered from an infection caused by bacteria on the cotton. The bacteria, mixed with cotton, yeast, vaginal fluid and semen caused the molecular structure inside her to change resulting in germination of the bacteria on the cotton balls. Once germinated, inoculation began immediately and the roots of the plant began to grow. Doctors say they removed enough weeds to fill up a produce bag from the grocery store. The smell was caused from mildew growing on the weeds from lack of sunlight.
Sullivan said she is telling her story because she wants young people to know they cannot believe everything they read on the Internet. “It could’ve cost me my life,” said Sullivan. “If that infection got any worse, who knows if I would’ve even survived.” Sullivan was released from the hospital after two days and is said to be recovering at home. She says from now on she will only use FDA approved contraception.