{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,27]],"date-time":"2025-08-27T20:40:01Z","timestamp":1756327201882,"version":"3.44.0"},"reference-count":6,"publisher":"BMJ","issue":"7","content-domain":{"domain":["bmj.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["BMJ Case Rep"],"accepted":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,21]]},"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2025,7]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>Unsafe abortion remains a critical public health issue, particularly in regions with limited access to safe and legal abortion services. This case report highlights the rare use of an abortion stick\u2014a hazardous method involving the insertion of foreign objects into the uterus and its associated complications. A newly married woman in her 20s presented with lower abdominal pain, foul-smelling vaginal discharge and infertility following an unsafe abortion facilitated by a traditional birth attendant. Hysteroscopic evaluation revealed a 9\u2009cm wooden stick within the uterine cavity, which was successfully removed. This case underscores the severe consequences of unsafe abortion practices, including chronic infection, uterine trauma and infertility. It also demonstrates the indispensable role of hysteroscopy in diagnosing and managing complications from unsafe abortions, preventing the need for more invasive surgical interventions. The report emphasises the need for improved access to safe reproductive healthcare.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1136\/bcr-2025-265343","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,16]],"date-time":"2025-07-16T08:35:37Z","timestamp":1752654937000},"page":"e265343","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1136\/crossmarkpolicy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Abortion stick-induced unsafe abortion: a rare modern occurrence and the diagnostic and therapeutic role of hysteroscopy"],"prefix":"10.1136","volume":"18","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3823-4112","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Amrita","family":"Singh","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Nagpur, Maharashtra, India"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Medha","family":"Davile","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Nagpur, Maharashtra, India"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Shuchita","family":"Mundle","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Nagpur, Maharashtra, India"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Jeffy","family":"Rajan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Nagpur, Maharashtra, India"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"239","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,16]]},"reference":[{"key":"2025082712592918000_18.7.e265343.1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2250618","DOI":"10.1080\/26410397.2023.2250618","article-title":"The preventable burden of mortality from unsafe abortion among female sex workers: a Community Knowledge Approach survey among peer networks in eight countries","volume":"31","author":"Willis","year":"2023","journal-title":"Sex Reprod Health Matters"},{"key":"2025082712592918000_18.7.e265343.2","unstructured":"World Health Organization . Unsafe abortion: global and regional estimates of the incidence of unsafe abortion and associated mortality in 2003. 5th edn. Geneva: World Health Organization, 2007."},{"key":"2025082712592918000_18.7.e265343.3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1056\/NEJMra1908412"},{"key":"2025082712592918000_18.7.e265343.4","first-page":"377","article-title":"Hysteroscopy as a minimally invasive surgery, a good substitute for invasive gynecological procedures","volume":"10","author":"Abdollahi Fard","year":"2012","journal-title":"Iran J Reprod Med"},{"key":"2025082712592918000_18.7.e265343.5","first-page":"217","article-title":"Hysteroscopic management of retained products of conception: A single center observational study","volume":"11","author":"Alonso Pacheco","year":"2019","journal-title":"Facts Views Vis Obgyn"},{"key":"2025082712592918000_18.7.e265343.6","first-page":"697","article-title":"The public health impact of unsafe abortion: 40 years of evidence","volume":"129","author":"Smith","year":"2022","journal-title":"BJOG"}],"container-title":["BMJ Case Reports"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/syndication.highwire.org\/content\/doi\/10.1136\/bcr-2025-265343","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,27]],"date-time":"2025-08-27T19:59:40Z","timestamp":1756324780000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/casereports.bmj.com\/lookup\/doi\/10.1136\/bcr-2025-265343"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2025,7]]},"references-count":6,"journal-issue":{"issue":"7","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,16]]},"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2025,7]]}},"alternative-id":["10.1136\/bcr-2025-265343"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1136\/bcr-2025-265343","relation":{},"ISSN":["1757-790X"],"issn-type":[{"type":"electronic","value":"1757-790X"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2025,7]]}}}