Child sexual abuse examination: is there a need for routine screening for N gonorrhoeae and C trachomatis?
Karen J Simmons1, Dorothy J Hicks
1Rape Treatment Center, Jackson Memorial Hospital, and the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Miami, Miami, Florida 33136, USA. ksimmons@med.miami.edu
Purpose:
To determine the yield of routine vaginal cultures for Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Chlamydia trachomatis from girls evaluated following sexual abuse.
Methods:
Retrospective chart review evaluating results of cultures that were obtained from 2008 prepubertal girls seen within 72 hours following an assault over two periods of 3 years each.
Results:
It was found that only 16 (0.8%) of cultures were positive for either gonorrhea or chlamydia. All but one of the prepubertal girls who had positive vaginal cultures for sexually transmitted disease had signs of acute vulvovaginitis.
Conclusion:
Routine vaginal cultures in asymptomatic pre-pubertal girls have a very low yield. Prospective studies are required to change current protocols for the evaluation of child victims of sexual abuse.
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