A plea for rape victims.

A woman was seen in the office several days after emergency department treatment for sexual assault. A cervical swab taken in the office grew Chlamydia trachomatis. No cultures for this organism had been taken in the emergency department, and the patient had not been given prophylactic antibiotics against Chlamydia. Physicians dealing with rape victims should culture for and cover with appropriate antibiotics for Chlamydia trachomatis, which is capable of causing pelvic inflammatory disease and eventual infertility or ectopic pregnancy.