2025 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code Z20.2
Contact with and (suspected) exposure to infections with a predominantly sexual mode of transmission
- ICD-10-CM Code:
- Z20.2
- ICD-10 Code for:
- Contact w and exposure to infect w a sexl mode of transmiss
- Is Billable?
- Yes - Valid for Submission
- Code Navigator:
Z20.2 is a billable diagnosis code used to specify a medical diagnosis of contact with and (suspected) exposure to infections with a predominantly sexual mode of transmission. The code is valid during the current fiscal year for the submission of HIPAA-covered transactions from October 01, 2024 through September 30, 2025.
This code describes a circumstance which influences the patient's health status but not a current illness or injury. The code is unacceptable as a principal diagnosis.
Approximate Synonyms
The following list of clinical terms are approximate synonyms, alternative descriptions, or common phrases that might be used by patients, healthcare providers, or medical coders to describe the same condition. These synonyms and related diagnosis terms are often used when searching for an ICD-10 code, especially when the exact medical terminology is unclear. Whether you're looking for lay terms, similar diagnosis names, or common language alternatives, this list can help guide you to the correct ICD-10 classification.
- Exposure to chlamydia
- Exposure to Chlamydia trachomatis
- Exposure to genital trichomoniasis
- Exposure to lymphogranuloma venereum
- Exposure to Neisseria gonorrhoeae
- Exposure to sexually transmissible disorder
- Exposure to Treponema pallidum
Clinical Classification
Clinical Classifications group individual ICD-10-CM diagnosis codes into broader, clinically meaningful categories. These categories help simplify complex data by organizing related conditions under common clinical themes.
They are especially useful for data analysis, reporting, and clinical decision-making. Even when diagnosis codes differ, similar conditions can be grouped together based on their clinical relevance. Each category is assigned a unique CCSR code that represents a specific clinical concept, often tied to a body system or medical specialty.
Exposure, encounters, screening or contact with infectious disease
CCSR Code: FAC016
Inpatient Default: X - Not applicable.
Outpatient Default: Y - Yes, default outpatient assignment for principal diagnosis or first-listed diagnosis.
Index to Diseases and Injuries References
The following annotation back-references for this diagnosis code are found in the injuries and diseases index. The Index to Diseases and Injuries is an alphabetical listing of medical terms, with each term mapped to one or more ICD-10-CM code(s).
- - Contact (with) - See Also: Exposure (to);
- - gonorrhea - Z20.2
- - sexually-transmitted disease - Z20.2
- - syphilis - Z20.2
- - venereal disease - Z20.2
- - Exposure (to) - See Also: Contact, with; - T75.89
- - gonorrhea - Z20.2
- - sexually-transmitted disease - Z20.2
- - syphilis - Z20.2
- - venereal disease - Z20.2
- - Gonorrhea (acute) (chronic) - A54.9
- - contact - Z20.2
- - exposure to - Z20.2
- - Syphilis, syphilitic (acquired) - A53.9
- - contact - Z20.2
- - exposure to - Z20.2
Code Edits
The Medicare Code Editor (MCE) detects errors and inconsistencies in ICD-10-CM diagnosis coding that can affect Medicare claim validity. These Medicare code edits help medical coders and billing professionals determine when a diagnosis code is not appropriate as a principal diagnosis, does not meet coverage criteria. Use this list to verify whether a code is valid for Medicare billing and to avoid claim rejections or denials due to diagnosis coding issues.
Unacceptable principal diagnosis
There are selected codes that describe a circumstance which influences an individual's health status but not a current illness or injury, or codes that are not specific manifestations but may be due to an underlying cause. These codes are considered unacceptable as a principal diagnosis.
Convert Z20.2 to ICD-9-CM
Below are the ICD-9 codes that most closely match this ICD-10 code, based on the General Equivalence Mappings (GEMs). This ICD-10 to ICD-9 crosswalk tool is helpful for coders who need to reference legacy diagnosis codes for audits, historical claims, or approximate code comparisons.
Venereal dis contact
ICD-9-CM: V01.6
This is a direct match with no additional mapping qualifiers. The absence of a flag generally means the mapping is considered exact or precise. In other words, the ICD-10 code maps cleanly to the ICD-9 code without qualification, approximation, or needing multiple codes.
Patient Education
Sexually Transmitted Infections
What are sexually transmitted infections (STIs)?
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs), or sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), are infections that are passed from one person to another through sexual contact. They are usually spread during vaginal, oral, or anal sex. But sometimes they can spread through other sexual contact involving the penis, vagina, mouth, or anus. This is because some STIs, like herpes and HPV, are spread by skin-to-skin contact.
Some STIs can be passed from a pregnant person to the baby, either during pregnancy or when giving birth. Other ways that some STIs may be spread include during breastfeeding, through blood transfusions, or by sharing needles.
There are more than 20 types of STIs, including:
- Chlamydia
- Genital herpes
- Gonorrhea
- HIV
- HPV
- Pubic lice
- Syphilis
- Trichomoniasis
What causes sexually transmitted infections (STIs)?
STIs can be caused by bacteria, viruses, and parasites.
Who is affected by sexually transmitted infections (STIs)?
Most STIs affect both men and women, but in many cases the health problems they cause can be more severe for women. If an STI is passed to a baby, it can cause serious health problems.
What are the symptoms of sexually transmitted infections (STIs)?
STIs don't always cause symptoms or may only cause mild symptoms. So it is possible to have an infection and not know it. And even without symptoms, STIs can still be harmful and may be passed on during sex.
If there are symptoms, they could include:
- Unusual discharge from the penis or vagina
- Sores or warts on the genital area
- Painful or frequent urination (peeing)
- Itching and redness in the genital area
- Blisters or sores in or around the mouth
- Abnormal vaginal odor
- Anal itching, soreness, or bleeding
- Abdominal (belly) pain
- Fever
How are sexually transmitted infections (STIs) diagnosed?
If you are sexually active, you should talk to your health care provider about your risk for STIs and whether you need to be tested. This is especially important since many STIs do not usually cause symptoms.
Some STIs may be diagnosed during a physical exam or through STI testing. Some tests involve a microscopic examination of a sore or fluid swabbed from the vagina, penis, or anus. Blood tests can diagnose other types of STIs.
What are the treatments for sexually transmitted infections (STIs)?
Antibiotics can treat STIs that are caused by bacteria or parasites. There is no cure for STIs caused by viruses, but antiviral medicines can often help with the symptoms and lower your risk of spreading the infection.
It's important to get treatment if you have an STI. Some types of STIs can cause serious health problems if they are not treated.
Can sexually transmitted infections (STIs) be prevented?
The surest way to protect yourself against STIs is to not have sex.
If you do decide to have sex, you can lower your risk of getting an STI by:
- Having you and your partner tested for STIs before having sex.
- Using a condom every time you have sex. Correct usage of latex condoms greatly reduces, but does not completely eliminate, the risk of catching or spreading STIs. If your or your partner is allergic to latex, you can use polyurethane condoms.
- Reducing your number of sex partners. You might even consider "mutual monogamy" with just one partner. This means that you agree to be sexually active only with them, and they agree to be sexually active only with you. But first you should both get tested to make sure that you don't already have an STI.
- Getting vaccinated against HPV and hepatitis B.
[Learn More in MedlinePlus]
Code History
- FY 2024 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2023 through 9/30/2024
- FY 2023 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2022 through 9/30/2023
- FY 2022 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2021 through 9/30/2022
- FY 2021 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2020 through 9/30/2021
- FY 2020 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2019 through 9/30/2020
- FY 2019 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2018 through 9/30/2019
- FY 2018 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2017 through 9/30/2018
- FY 2017 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2016 through 9/30/2017
- FY 2016 - New Code, effective from 10/1/2015 through 9/30/2016. This was the first year ICD-10-CM was implemented into the HIPAA code set.
