The Disney ‘wedgie’ lawsuit isn’t really that shocking. Some ladies have this issue.
While it’s impossible to resist the exhilaration of sliding down a water slide, a recent lawsuit against Walt Disney Parks and Resorts that detailed a rare but life-threatening accident raises concerns about their safety and the possibility that hazards could vary significantly depending on your anatomy.
According to the lawsuit filed last week in Orange County, Florida, Emma McGuinness fell nearly vertically down a 214-foot water slide at Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon in 2019. Her body lifted up and then slammed down, forcing her legs to uncross (the recommended position for safety), as she fell into a pool.
Her vaginal tissue was severely torn by a rush of water and a “injurious wedgie,” causing major lacerations that caused her intestines to protrude from her abdomen. The “Humunga Kowabunga” slide in question allegedly enables users to achieve speeds close to 40 miles per hour, according to the lawsuit.
The chance of water being forced inside a woman’s body is higher than it is for a man because of her unique anatomy and the sort of swimwear she commonly wears, according to the lawsuit. “Ms. McGuinness [who was wearing a one-piece bathing suit] was not warned that she was at an increased risk of injury because of her gender or the clothes that she wore.”
The gynecologists who talked with USA TODAY concurred that women who have vaginas are more likely to get these injuries on water slides.
In fact, comparable water slide-related vaginal injuries have been reported in at least a dozen case reports going back to 1998. A 38-year-old in Spain, a 37-year-old in Jamaica, and an 8-year-old in Australia were all affected, and specialists think there are likely many more unreported cases.
OB-GYN Dr. Mary Claire Haver, who runs Mary Claire Wellness in Friendswood, Texas, recalled her previous employment at a hospital that saw a lot of patients with these kinds of injuries every summer because it was close to a water park. Even a child with a water slide-related genital laceration as bad as McGuinness’ was treated by Haver.
Haver claimed that the water operates like a surgical blade, cutting open the vaginal walls. Although these injuries are uncommon, they do happen and can be very damaging.
Dr. Allison Rodgers, an OB-GYN and reproductive endocrinologist at Fertility Centers of Illinois, noted that although vaginal tissue is intended to stretch, it is still only approximately as thick as an earlobe. Therefore, Rodgers explained, “if something hits it the wrong way, you could have a really serious injury.”
Possible side effects include infections of the ovaries and fallopian tubes, a perineal tear (a tear between the vagina and anus), or gangrene, a potentially lethal illness that develops when the blood supply to some of the intestines is cut off.
According to Rodgers, the type of water you consume could also affect the types of bacteria that flood your system, thus putting you at a higher risk for more severe illnesses. He also added that chlorinated water in swimming pools isn’t always sanitary.
A 2018 review article in the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology Canada found that comparable injuries have been reported to be caused by jetskis, waterskis, hoses, and fountains.
Wearing tight-fitting shorts or a wetsuit instead of a bikini, according to experts, could assist reduce your hazards in any situation. Follow the standard water park protocol by crossing your ankles and crossing your arms over your chest before sliding down the slide.
Don’t worry too much about wedgies, advised Dr. Marieme Mbaye, an OB-GYN in New York City. (However, a few egregious wedgies have been documented in case reports.)
No matter the genitals, serious wedgie injuries are uncommon, according to Mbaye. When deciding which activities to participate in, it’s crucial to keep in mind that everything has a certain amount of risk.
More information about the lawsuit:A woman sues Disney after getting hurt on a water slide.