Maura Higgins nearly died after tampon got stuck inside her for three months

Steve Hopkins

Higgins also spoke about how women need to teach themselves how to orgasm

Former Love Island contestant Maura Higgins has revealed she got severely ill after having a tampon stuck inside her for three months.

The 31-year-old spoke about the experience on ITV2 show Shopping with Keith Lemon, which sees Lemon hitting the shops with celebrity guests.

Maura admitted to Lemon that she had a “very bad experience” with a tampon that made her “so ill” and hoped the experience would serve as a warning to other women.

“I did have a very bad experience. I’m not a doctor, I don’t know much about [toxic shock syndrome], but I know you are not meant to leave a tampon inside for more than, I think it’s nine hours, I think that’s the max,” Maura explained.

According to the NHS, toxic shock syndrome (TSS) is a rare but life-threatening condition caused by bacteria getting into the body and releasing harmful toxins.

“It’s often associated with tampon use in young women, but it can affect anyone of any age – including men and children,” the NHS website reads.

“TSS gets worse very quickly and can be fatal if not treated promptly. But if it’s diagnosed and treated early, most people make a full recovery.”

Rather than the nine hours Maura suggested, the NHS explains that tampon manufacturers advise the products should not be left in for more than eight hours.

Maura recalled: “I was so ill. I did not know what was going on.”

She continued: “There were people that have died from that happening. Young girls might not have noticed, like you go on a night out, what if you got really drunk and forgot, like, these things actually do happen, and people don’t speak about it.”

Maura said when she was at school, she used to hide her tampons: “I used to get my tampon out the bag, push it up my sleeve and then go to the toilet like that… thinking back, why was I doing that? It’s nothing to be ashamed about, that’s why I think it’s an important topic isn’t it?”

Elsewhere on the show, Maura shared her beliefs that more women need to teach themselves how to orgasm rather than rely on a man being “good” in bed.

She explained: “Most girls I know have never had an orgasm. But do you know what it is? I don’t think people understand, you actually have to teach yourself how to orgasm, it’s not about how good the man is or whatever, it’s about you as a woman. Us women don’t understand, how lucky we are, the woman that can, do you know what I mean?”

Shopping with Keith Lemon concludes Thursday on ITV2 at 10pm.

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