A popular but controversial product called the "virgin maker" - an artificial hymen that can produce a blood-like liquid to help women fake virginity, is to be withdrawn from online sale after Chinese doctors warned it could cause serious infections.

A vaginal tightening stick that came with the product will also become unavailable.

Both items have been for sale on e-commerce platform Taobao.com but Chinese officials say they are banning them as they violate the platform's regulations which ban unauthorized medical devices

Sellers boasted that the "little blood chips" could easily be inserted into the vagina to produce a liquid the color of blood and cause the woman's partner to believe that she was a virgin before intercourse, something many women believe is key to winning a Chinese man's heart.

"The chips are made of collagen and natural red coloring that will not damage your body but have a good effect in faking blood in dim light," said one Taobao seller. "All you have to do is to put it into your body and act like a virgin."

The seller said the chip would expand to a thin film when it became wet and red liquid would flow from it once the film was penetrated.

He said he had sold about 80 chips, each costing 100 to 150 yuan (US$16-24), over the past 30 days. The stick, when inserted into the vagina, had the effect of making the muscles contract and tighten.

Among more than 200 comments left below the description of the artificial hymen, many customers said the chips had been successful in leading their boyfriends or husbands to believe they had been virgins.

"It really succeeded! My boyfriend is very satisfied and he called me every day," was one comment. Another said: "The blood looked a little bit fake and I was so nervous. But under dim light it turned out to be fine."

On microblog Weibo.com, the product sparked widespread controversy with many people questioning whether the traditional Chinese view that virginity is highly prized should still exist in modern society.

"I can't believe that so many women are purchasing the product to satisfy their boyfriends or husbands. It means some Chinese men still can't get rid of the virgin complex," commented microblogger Fang Ping.

Meanwhile, food and drug administrators and doctors have expressed their concern.

Du Bing, of the Shanghai Food and Drag Administration, said that the vaginal-tightening product and the so-called artificial hymen had never been approved as medical appliances.

He said that the administration would be keeping a close eye on online sales of such products and warned people not to buy them because they were a risk to their health.

Doctors said they were shocked about the popularity of the products on Taobao.

"These vaginal-tightening products and artificial hymens could use some materials with potential risk to women's health," said Dr Zhang Zhengrong of the No. 411 Hospital of People's Liberation Army's gynecology department.

"The ingredient of the red fluid simulating women's bleeding is very questionable. If using some poor-quality materials, it could stimulate the vaginal membrane and lead to vaginal infections."

She advised women considering hymen repair to see a doctor. She said hymen-repair surgery was especially popular among women who were in their late 20s or early 30s with most patients admitting that they were seeking vaginal surgery because they were getting married.

"Doctors will do an overall check on a patient's reproductive system and give treatment if detecting gynecological infection or sexually transmitted diseases before giving the surgery," she said.

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