A man had a 6-inch hand-held shower head removed from his rectum after he “accidentally slipped” in the bathroom.

The 26-year-old, from India, had to detach the PVC pipe connecting the shower head to the wall to get to the hospital.

Upon admission to Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital and Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research in New Delhi, the man denied that he put the shower head there himself.

His vitals were stable and there was no evidence of blood in his rectum, according to the BMJ case report.

Scans revealed the shower head was 6 inches deep into the man’s pelvis but had not caused any internal damage.

The man was put under general anesthesia while doctors removed the object.

No serious damage had been caused and the man was allowed home 48 hours later.

The report notes how the correct size, material and number of objects needs to be determined before treatment can proceed.

And it suggests some patients need psychiatric consultation.

“A proper history and examination is mandatory to look for signs and symptoms of perforation and infection, such as fever, severe abdominal pain and bleeding,” Dr. Peeyush Kumar wrote in the case report.

“History is often ambiguous and incomplete due to a high level of embarrassment and social stigma attached to the condition. The same was seen in our case. Though the patient reported accidental insertion of the shower head and denied voluntary insertion, there is a high suspicion of voluntary insertion for auto-erotic purpose.”

It is not the first time a foreign object has had to be removed from a rectum. In fact, it’s surprisingly common.

“A large variety of objects have been reported, including bottles, cans, glass bulbs, stones, small rods, fruits and vegetables, vibrators, dildos and toys,” Kumar added.

“Insertion of objects for auto-erotic purposes is the most common cause of rectal foreign bodies. Other common causes include accidents and assaults. The presentation is often delayed and history is often improper.”

“Two-thirds of the patients are males in their 30s or 40s, who use such objects for auto-erotic purposes.”