Sexual Health Management in Emergency Care
Summary
Emergency departments serve as critical points of contact for individuals with unmet sexual health needs, spanning screening, diagnosis and immediate intervention. Patients may present with symptoms of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), requests for post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), pregnancy concerns, sexual assault or mental health crises complicated by risky behaviours. Effective management in this setting requires rapid diagnostic testing, streamlined workflows, privacy measures and staff training to facilitate timely treatment, counselling and referral pathways. Digital tools and user-centred interventions are increasingly integrated to support education, risk assessment and follow-up. Barriers such as time pressure, resource limitations and inconsistent sexual history documentation can undermine care quality. Tailored approaches for adolescents, marginalised communities and survivors of sexual violence help address disparities and improve uptake of preventive services. Emerging models emphasise linkage to community clinics, telehealth support and culturally informed communication to enhance continuity of care beyond the index visit.
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Sexual Health Management in Emergency Care publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in sexual health management in emergency care across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI): An infection transmitted through sexual contact, caused by bacteria, viruses or parasites.
Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP): A short-term antiretroviral regimen to prevent infection after potential HIV exposure.
User-centred Design: A development approach that involves end-users in iterative testing and refinement of tools or services.
Rapid Diagnostic Test: A point-of-care assay providing quick results to guide immediate clinical decisions.
Electronic Medical Record (EMR): A digital system for documenting and managing patient health information during care encounters.
References
- A Digital Sexual Health Intervention for Urban Adolescent and Young Adult Male Emergency Department Patients: User-Centered Design Approach. JMIR Formative Research (2024).
- Sexual History Documentation and Screening in Adolescent Females with Suicidal Ideation in the Emergency Department. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (2022).
- Ten-Year Trend in Emergency Department Visits for Sexually Transmitted Infections among Adolescents: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study in Italy. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (2022).
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