The number of adolescents being admitted to the emergency department for sexual abuse has increased drastically from 2010 to 2016, according to a study published in JAMA Pediatrics.
Researchers examined data from the Nationwide Emergency Department Sample of the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project.
They found that the rate of ED admissions as a result of sexual abuse more than doubled for adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17 years over the six-year study period. This occurred despite a drop in reported rates of child sexual abuse in the U.S.
Although the data did not indicate the reason behind the rise in admission rates, researchers suggest several possibilities, including "increase in coordination between the medical profession, courts and forensic teams," said Jesse Helton, PhD, assistant professor of social work in St. Louis University's College for Public Health and Social Justice and lead study author.
Dr. Helton also said that the next step would be studying whether EDs are equipped to handle care for sexually abused adolescents.