A Virginia woman expressed her outrage and issued a warning to others after finding a metal hook inside a tampon that she recently purchased. Harmony Grant, 22, of Virginia Beach said she spotted a black dot on the Playtex Simple Gentle Glide tampon after she opened it.

Grant inspected the product and was shocked to have discovered the metal piece in plastic.

“I couldn’t even tell what it was until I picked at it, and opened up a hook,” Grant told ABC-affiliated TV station WVEC. “I was utterly shocked that there was a hook sticking out of a tampon.”

The woman uploaded a photo of the tampon with the hook sticking out on Facebook. She also contacted Edgewell Personal Care, the company which makes the Playtex tampons. The company, in response, apologized to Grant and offered her a $7 refund.

“It was like, completely unacceptable,” Grant said. “I kind of felt like they brushed it off like it wasn’t a big deal. I could have seriously been injured.”

A representative for the company issued a further statement to local media: “Once we receive the necessary information, we will be able to fully evaluate all details of this report. In the meantime, this one isolated case does not affect other Playtex tampon products, which remain safe to use. The health and safety of the women who use our products is a top priority for Edgewell Personal Care.”

The incident left Grant "traumatized" and she vowed not to use tampons following the experience.

“Honestly, I’m just traumatized about the whole situation. That could've been potentially very harmful to me, and I just want other women to know things like this are happening,” she reportedly said.

tampons
A woman was shocked after she found a metal hook inside a tampon. This is a representational image. Getty Images/Loic Venance

In 2017, model Lauren Wasser issued a warning after losing her right leg to a deadly bacterial infection caused by a tampon. Wasser was diagnosed with Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS) in 2012 when she was 24 years old.

Mayo Clinic, on its website, states TSS can be caused due to Staphylococcus aureus (staph). The syndrome can also be caused by group A Streptococcus (strep) bacteria. Possible signs and symptoms of toxic shock syndrome include sudden high fever, low blood pressure (hypotension), vomiting or diarrhea, rash resembling a sunburn, confusion, muscle aches, redness of eyes, mouth and throat, seizures, headaches, dizziness, fainting.

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