Potatoes an ineffective contraceptive (Update: Hoax)

heart-shaped-potato

A woman complaining of abdominal pain was found to have used a potato as a contraceptive device, according to Colombiareports.co, and had neglected to remove it afterward. (UPDATE: This story is a common urban legend, writes an editor at Snopes, and is almost certainly untrue.)

The vegetable had supposedly sprouted roots inside the 22-year-old's reproductive organs, sending her to a clinic where it was safely removed without surgery.

The event highlights sex education problems in the South American county: "The fact that a 22 year old women was no naïve as to believe that a potato was an appropriate and safe method of contraception shows a concerning lack of education for young people as to the options available for them when they become sexually active."