1. Surprising Benefits of Sex Slideshow Pictures
2. Take the Quiz: The Human Body
3. Causes of Fatigue Slideshow Pictures

Medical Author:

Martin J Carey, MD, MPH, BCh

Medical Editor:

John P. Cunha, DO, FACOEP

John P. Cunha, DO, FACOEP

John P. Cunha, DO, is a U.S. board-certified Emergency Medicine Physician. Dr. Cunha's educational background includes a BS in Biology from Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, and a DO from the Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences in Kansas City, MO. He completed residency training in Emergency Medicine at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center in Newark, New Jersey.

View Full Profile

Foreign objects found in the rectum and anus seem to be limited only by the human imagination.

The majority of objects have been introduced through the anus. But sometimes a foreign body may be swallowed, pass through the digestive tract, and eventually get stuck in the rectum.

Common examples of foreign objects in the rectum include:

• Fruits and vegetables
• Bottles
• Candles
• Objects designed to be placed in the anus (such as vibrators or dildos)

Foreign objects in the rectum also may be found in the following circumstances:

• In children
• In psychiatric patients
• In victims of assault
• As a result of injury caused by medical professionals (examples would be a broken rectal thermometer and broken enema catheter tips)
• As a result of an object used for sexual gratification