A 71-year-old man in Guangzhou, Guangdong, wore two metal rings on his penis for 15 days based on an unverified folk remedy called ‘Tianfang’, causing severe swelling, ulceration, and infection. Firefighters spent 13 hours cutting off the rings, preserving penile tissue.

Social Context

Traditional ‘yangsheng’ (health cultivation) practices coexist with rising misinformation on social media; the National Health Commission’s 2023 ‘Anti-Pseudoscience Campaign’ specifically targets dangerous genital devices promoted in WeChat groups and Douyin livestreams.

Safety Tip

Patients should consult licensed TCM physicians—not online influencers—for sexual health remedies; any constrictive device applied to genitalia requires medical supervision and must be removable within 30 minutes to prevent ischemic necrosis.