An eyeball-licking fetish is reportedly spreading among Japanese schoolchildren and adolescents – as are resultant cases of conjunctivitis.
The trend – known as oculolinctus, or “worming” - was revealed on Japanese website Naver Matome and later translated by Japan Crush.
School teachers became aware of the activity when a significant number of students began turning up at school wearing eye patches.
One teacher – identified as Mr Y - is quoted as saying:
“After class one day, I went into the equipment store in the gymnasium to tidy up. The door had been left open, and when I looked inside, a male pupil and a female pupil had their faces close together and were kind of fumbling around. Could it be bullying? I wondered, but when I had a good look, the boy was licking the girl’s eye! Surprised, a shouted “What are you doing? Stop it at once!” and the two of them were so shocked they jumped apart. The girl burst into tears, and the boy just went bright red and was shaken up. At any rate, to try to calm them down I took them to the janitor’s room and listened to their story.”
Medical Daily points out eyeball licking can easily transmit bacteria that cause conjunctivitis, particularly a form called trachoma that also causes chlamydia.
And the NHS warns young children are a higher risk group for the infection.
According to Shanghaiist, the trend may have stemmed from a music video by Japanese band Born, in which a woman licks the singer’s eye.
Oculolinctus is also popular in Japanese Manga comics.
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But it's not just limited to Japanese borders...
Elektrika Energias, a student in the US Virgin Islands, told the Huffington Post: “My boyfriend started licking my eyeballs years ago and I just loved it. I’m not with him anymore but I still like to ask guys to lick my eyeballs.
“I just love it because it turns me on, like sucking on my toes. It makes me feel all tingly..”
GALLERY: EYEBALL LICKING VIDEOS (Don't try this at home -- or anywhere else)