An extremely agitated 15-year-old student in the school clinic asks to be tested for pregnancy after forced sex. What is the most appropriate intervention?

An extremely agitated 15-year-old student in the school clinic asks to be tested for pregnancy after forced sex. What is the most appropriate intervention?

• A. Administer a pregnancy test.
• B. Do teaching on safe sex.
• C. Do teaching on birth control methods.
• D. Identify the student's immediate concerns.

Answer: (D)

In this moment, the priority is crisis response: connect with the student, validate her feelings, and identify what she needs right now. When someone is extremely agitated after a traumatic event, understanding her immediate concerns helps reduce distress and builds trust, guiding what happens next. By focusing on what she wants or needs in the moment—safety, support, information, or specific steps like pregnancy testing—you’re respecting her autonomy and setting up a route for appropriate follow-up care. Only after those immediate concerns are identified and her safety is supported should medical testing or education be discussed; rushing into a pregnancy test or providing teaching about sex or contraception can feel invasive and may overlook what she is most distressed about. So the best initial move is to identify and address the student’s immediate concerns, which then informs the subsequent actions, including testing, trauma support, and any necessary reporting.

In this moment, the priority is crisis response: connect with the student, validate her feelings, and identify what she needs right now. When someone is extremely agitated after a traumatic event, understanding her immediate concerns helps reduce distress and builds trust, guiding what happens next. By focusing on what she wants or needs in the moment—safety, support, information, or specific steps like pregnancy testing—you’re respecting her autonomy and setting up a route for appropriate follow-up care. Only after those immediate concerns are identified and her safety is supported should medical testing or education be discussed; rushing into a pregnancy test or providing teaching about sex or contraception can feel invasive and may overlook what she is most distressed about. So the best initial move is to identify and address the student’s immediate concerns, which then informs the subsequent actions, including testing, trauma support, and any necessary reporting.