Responding to Sexual Activity on the Inpatient Psychiatric Unit

Topics: Assault | Capacity | Consensual | Consent | Debriefing | Hospital policy | hypersexual behaviors | post-exposure prophylaxis | pregnancy testing | reporting requirements | Risk Management | sexual intercourse | STI screening

We know sexual attraction occurs among individuals staying together in a psychiatric inpatient unit. The prevalence of sexual activity on acute units is as high as 5%—and up to 70% among chronically ill patients in long-term residence in state hospitals (Ford E et al, Psychiatr Serv 2003;54(3):346–350; Wright ER et al, Journal of Ethics in Mental He