A Bolivian woman has died from an injection of urine allegedly administered by her friend as a form of health therapy, a prosecutor said Tuesday. Investigating prosecutor Oscar Flores told The Associated Press that 35-year-old Gabriela Ascarrunz died Saturday of an "infection caused by urine that was injected by fashion designer Monica Schultz."
Local newspapers reported that Schultz, who is known across Bolivia for her clothing lines, is a practitioner of urine therapy -- a form of alternative medicine using human urine for cosmetic purposes or to treat various diseases. Some people rub it on their skin, while others inject or drink it.
Skeptical scientists and physicians say there is no evidence urine treatment works and that chemicals it contains could potentially be toxic.
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Why? Are you saying that it didn't happen/urban legend/publicity stunt?
Eeeeewwww!!
you're taking the piss?
Now, if I remember correctly, urine is the body's way of getting rid of stuff it doesn't need, right? Or stuff that may even be dangerous, right? So, WHY would one counteract this?
OK, admittedly the chemical props may make it some kind of disinfectant, or be useful in certain cases. I seem to remember that it can nix the activity of jellyfish stingers because it's a bit acidic, but I wouldn't trust this hunch o' mine. Still, injections? Into the blood stream or tissue? Where it was expelled from in the first place? ... ?
She must have been pissed.
Serves her right for not looking into homeopathic urine. In this case, two wrongs would make a right.
Ben - Considering it's not dangerous to drink urine I'd guess most of the people who inject it probably survive so long as it's no large volumes... but every once in a while someone'll get a nasty infection. (Lots of people believe urine is sterile. It is, in the bladder. Once it leaves your body it'll pick up bacteria on the way and not be sterile anymore.) But yeah, I don't get why people think urine might be good for medicine either. Quite backwards thinking...
infection caused by urine that was injected by fashion designer
And we all know that the best person to give medical treatment is a fashion designer.
At least, it's sterile if the donor doesn't have an infection. "Hey, let's play infection roulette!"
Sterile or not, this is a whole new level of "yuck."