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[July 2021]

Check boys' swimwear lining! Penile skin may get stuck in mesh lining

 Illustration of a boy in swim trunks placing hands on his aching groin at beach

Sometimes mesh fabric is used for boys' swimwear lining. The Medical Facilities Network1 and PIO-NET2 have received some injury reports related to boys' swimwear lining (e.g. "A boy got his penile skin stuck in mesh lining and he was taken to a hospital"). Similar incidents occurred also in last fiscal year.

Information on similar incidents was shared in 2006 by the National Consumer Affairs Center of Japan (NCAC). An alert against use of swimwear with mesh lining was issued in 2014 by the Consumer Affairs Agency and in 2016 by the Japan Pediatric Society.

In 2010, a new rule was added to voluntary industry guidelines: "Do not use mesh fabric for swimwear lining."

In order to prevent the recurrence of similar incidents, NCAC decided to issue a consumer alert again.

  1. 1 The Medical Facilities Network is a joint project by the Consumer Affairs Agency and NCAC which started operating from December 2010. The network collects accident reports on people receiving treatment at medical facilities after suffering life-threatening or bodily injuries in their daily lives.
  2. 2 PIO-NET is a database that collects information on inquiries concerning consumer affairs by linking NCAC with local consumer affairs centers and similar organizations across Japan via an online network.

Sample cases

Cases reported to the Medical Facilities Network

  • A boy in swimwear was playing in an athletic facility. After a few hours, he was unable to take off his swimwear. It was found that his penial skin got caught in mesh lining.
  • When a parent tried to take off son's swim trunks, the boy expressed pain. It was found that a tip of penial skin got caught in mesh lining and he was bleeding there.

Cases registered with PIO-NET

  • A boy got his penial skin caught in mesh lining. He was unable to take off his swim trunks.
  • When a parent tried to take off three-year-old son's swimwear, penial skin got caught in mesh lining and he got hurt.

Advice for consumers

  • Do not let children wear swimwear with mesh lining.
  • When penial skin has got caught in mesh lining, take the boy to a hospital instead of trying to take off his swimwear.

Illustration: Scene of a boy and his mother checking swimwear lining
Illustration of a boy and his mother checking swimwear lining

Request to businesses

  • In order to prevent similar incidents that penial skin gets caught in mesh lining, NCAC requests businesses not to manufacture and sell swimwear with mesh lining.

Request for cooperation to online shopping mall operators

  • There is a risk that penial skin may get caught in swimwear mesh lining. Please issue an alert on the risk to consumers and online sellers.

Copyright for illustration

© Toshiro Kawasaki