Scoping Review of Access to Emergency Contraception for Sexual Assault Victims in Emergency Departments in the United States

Objective: We conducted a scoping review of the literature to assess the prevalence of hospital policies regarding emergency contraception (EC) and the frequency that U.S. emergency departments (EDs) provide EC to sexual assault survivors. Study Design: We searched PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and CINAHL from inception to January 2019 for studies that assessed access to EC for sexual assault survivors in EDs. We included English-language studies that surveyed ED staff at U.S. hospitals and reported the weighted mean of the percentage of hospitals with an EC policy for sexual assault survivors and the percentage that provided EC counseling, offered or dispensed EC onsite. Secondary outcomes were rates of testing and prophylaxis for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV. Results: From 390 articles retrieved, 14 studies met the inclusion criteria; all studies were published between 2000 and 2013. Eligible studies surveyed staff at 3,314 hospitals. Overall, 60% (weighted mean) of hospitals had a policy on EC, 75% provided EC counseling, 44% offered EC, and 62% had EC available to dispense onsite. Four studies reported secondary outcomes: 81% of hospitals provided STI testing, 84% provided STI prophylaxis, 64% provided HIV testing, and 53% provided HIV prophylaxis. Conclusion: Existing literature demonstrates significant variability in EC policies and practices for sexual assault survivors in U.S. hospital EDs. Future research should assess whether EC access for survivors has improved in ED settings as well as evaluate persistent or new barriers to access.

Automated summary

The literature review found significant variability in EC policies and practices for sexual assault survivors in U.S. hospital EDs. While 60% of hospitals had an EC policy, actual provision of EC services was lower. Future research should continue to assess survivor access to EC in ED settings.