Epidemiologic issues of sexually transmitted diseases in sexual assault victims

The objective of this study was to investigate the epidemiologic aspects of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in victims of sexual assault and to d iscuss the methodological issues in determining risk of STD acquisition. We performed a comprehensive review of the medical literature to determine th e prevalence of STDs in victims of sexual assault. A MEDLINE search and a s earch of bibliographies of published manuscripts was performed to discover relevant articles published in the English language, Studies were included in our review if they provided estimates of the prevalence of infection wit h Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Chlamydia trachomatis, Treponema pallidum, Trichom onas vaginalis, or human papillomavirus (HPV). The main outcome measure was prevalence rates of STDs in victims of sexual assault. It is difficult to determine the rate of newly acquired STDs from sexual assault. In the popul ations studied the prevalence of STDs can be summarized as follows: N. gono rrhoeae 0.0 to 26.3 percent; C. trachomatis 3.9 to 17 percent; T. pallidum 0.0 to 5.6 percent; T. vaginalis 0.0 to 19.0 percent; and HPV 0.6 to 2.3 pe rcent. We conclude that prevalence estimates vary widely depending on the p opulation studied and known risk factors for STDs, Given the limited follow -up rates in this population, preventive treatment for STDs in addition to emergency contraception should be offered in most instances.