No two people are more suited to one another than Megan Fox and the rapper that is Machine Gun Kelly.
Often unprovoked, the couple share details of their relationship that we didn’t ask for. Recently Fox shared that they occasionally drink each other’s blood.
Fox announced the engagement ― and the blood consumption ― in an Instagram post in January. There was immediate outcry from various medical experts like Dr Shikha Jain, a Chicago-based haematologist and oncologist.
Jain told Glamour UK back in January that “it is absolutely not safe to drink other people’s blood”. The doctor added that there’s a risk of contracting a blood-borne pathogen or infection.
Now, Fox says she probably didn’t give people an accurate description of the blood-drinking process. “So, I guess to drink each other’s blood might mislead people or people are imagining us with goblets and we’re like ‘Game of Thrones’ drinking each other’s blood,” she told the magazine.
She said the amount of blood they drink from each other is “just a few drops,” but admitted: “We do consume each other’s blood on occasion for ritual purposes only.”
It might sound a little unique, but we don’t want to kink-shame now. After all, kissing on the mouth and swapping saliva would be considered gross in some other cultures. Also, there’s a whole vampirisim community who practice this ritual.
But in case you’re wondering, are there any medical effects of consuming someone else’s blood? We found out.
Giulia Guerrini, a health practitioner at digital pharmacy Medino, commented that it’s not the first time vampirism has been in the spotlight.
“Just like before thanks to the craze of Twilight, Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly have brought vampirism into the spotlight. If you also like to perform Wicca rituals like this or participate in consensual vampirism as part of sex play, there’s no shame – but like with most kinks, anyone with a desire to participate or already actively participating should be aware of all the potential risks involved. Drinking someone else’s blood can be very dangerous.”
Guerrini mentions that there are some conditions to be aware of, no matter how little the risk.
“There’s an incredibly serious risk of contracting a blood-borne disease by drinking your partner’s blood. I wouldn’t recommend drinking your partner or anyone else’s blood, but if you want to do it anyway, at least seek medical assurances first that they (and you, if it’s being reciprocated!) aren’t carrying any blood-borne diseases. HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, malaria and syphilis are all potentially life-threatening and not fun to deal with.”
She says there are other conditions to be aware of such as haemochromatosis, which occurs when you intake too much iron. Our bodies struggle to naturally discard any excess iron, and human blood is very rich in iron.
“Drinking a few drops of human blood is unlikely to cause haemochromatosis, but keep in mind that haemochromatosis can cause damage to your endocrine glands, heart, joints, liver and pancreas, as well as dehydration and low blood pressure. It can also cause fluid to accumulate in your lungs.”
There are other rarer conditions too, to be mindful of. “Clinically, there’s also the rare mental health condition of Renfield Syndrome, which is conveniently named after the fictional character R. M. Renfield in the Dracula novel. Renfield Syndrome is a compulsive order where you believe that you have a biological need to drink animal or human blood in order to maintain your health and vitality.”
Whatever your kinks, just make sure it’s, safe, consensual and appealing to all involved.