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Viewers were horrified after a woman claimed to have gotten pregnant for the second time while being on birth control.
Scharon, or @itsscharonnotsharon, posted about her situation to TikTok on Tuesday where it amassed more than 10 million views and 8,000 comments, many from worried viewers frightened that something similar could happen to them.
In the video, Scharon showed herself self-administering an ultrasound at work.
"When I'm doing my monthly IUD location check up at work because I've been pregnant with one before...and I see a pregnancy sac next to my IUD..." the on-screen text read.
An intrauterine device (IUD) is a t-shaped piece of plastic that is placed inside the uterus as a form of birth control. The IUD is placed by a medical professional in-office.
Individuals with IUDs are recommended to ensure it is still in place once every month or if discomfort arises. A professional can also locate the IUD using ultrasound to ensure the IUD did not slip out of the uterus.
In the viral clip, Scharon used the ultrasound machine on her stomach and looked at the screen to locate her IUD. To her surprise, Scharon said she found a gestational sac outside of her uterus.
When she noticed, her facial expression changed and she pulled her mask down to mouth "what the f**k" at the results.
"Not again....." the caption of the video read.
Experts estimate that less than one percent of individuals with IUDs get pregnant a year. However, many of these pregnancies turn out to be ectopic, meaning that rather than growing in the uterus like normal, the embryo tries to grow outside–typically in the fallopian tubes.
Ectopic pregnancies are considered life-threatening and it is not possible to successfully bring the embryo to term.
If left untreated, a fertilized egg inside a fallopian tube can cause the tube to overstretch and burst, resulting in large amounts of internal bleeding.
Some individuals find themselves at higher risk for experiencing an ectopic pregnancy, including previous ectopic pregnancies, endometriosis, STIs, and having an IUD.
More than 8,000 users commented on Scharon's video, many saying that they "don't claim this energy" and some mentioning they loved the form of birth control they chose.
"Nexplanon for the win," one user commented about their contraceptive implant that is inserted under the skin of the upper arm.
"Y'all remember the picture of the baby coming out holding their moms iud," one commenter asked.
Other users shared their own experiences getting pregnant while using birth control.
"Currently 26 weeks with my Copper IUD fail," one user commented.
"I got pregnant on the pill, depo shots and the nexplanon implant so BC gave up on me every time," another wrote.
"I got pregnant on the mirena! It was an ectopic and literally traumatizing," one comment read. "I do not trust birth control anymore."
Newsweek reached out to @itsscharonnotsharon for comment.
About the writer
Samantha Berlin is a Newsweek reporter based in New York. Her focus is reporting on trends and human-interest stories. Samantha ... Read more