A Chinese man was forced to have surgery to have half of his small intestine removed after he went through a grueling three-hour simulation of childbirth, allegedly at the request of his girlfriend and her relatives.

The stunt, which occurred in Henan province, was intended to be a pre-wedding "test" to teach the man the agony of giving birth. As reported by the South China Morning Post, the girlfriend's family supported the act, thinking it would make him a more empathetic husband.

Although he was initially reluctant, the boyfriend ultimately consented to the procedure, which employed electrical currents to simulate the pain of labour contractions.

The intensity increased progressively during the first 90 minutes of the simulation. However, when the pain level reached level 8, the man allegedly started screaming and fighting. At level 10—the maximum intensity—he was wheezing for air.

After the test, he had intense abdominal pain, vomiting, and severe exhaustion. His girlfriend went on to say that it was not intended to hurt him but to help him understand better the difficulties faced by women in giving birth.

One week later, the man's health deteriorated, and he was taken to the hospital. Doctors diagnosed him with permanent damage to part of his small intestine and had to surgically remove it.

The engagement has since been canceled, and the man's family is planning to sue the woman. While taking responsibility for her actions, the woman has wished for his complete recovery.

The incident has initiated widespread Chinese social media attention, with numerous condemning the actions of the woman. Critics claim that simulated pain will never actually be the same as the feeling of childbirth and that compelling another individual to be tested in this way is both wrong and dangerous.

Legal experts have also provided an opinion, citing that the woman may become liable for paying money for the injury to her boyfriend, especially in the event his family initiates legal action against her.

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