Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of Contributors
- United Nations Statement
- 1 Physical and sexual abuse of children
- 2 Intimate partner violence
- 3 Sexual assault
- 4 The geriatric patient
- 5 Mentally ill or cognitively impaired patients
- 6 Immigrants and ethnic minority populations
- 7 Care of victims of torture
- 8 Trafficking victims
- 9 Forensic photography
- Index
- Plate section
- References
3 - Sexual assault
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 17 August 2009
Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of Contributors
- United Nations Statement
- 1 Physical and sexual abuse of children
- 2 Intimate partner violence
- 3 Sexual assault
- 4 The geriatric patient
- 5 Mentally ill or cognitively impaired patients
- 6 Immigrants and ethnic minority populations
- 7 Care of victims of torture
- 8 Trafficking victims
- 9 Forensic photography
- Index
- Plate section
- References
Summary
Chapter objectives
Understand the purpose of a forensic rape exam
Be able to perform a forensic rape exam
Be able to provide high quality medical care for a victim of sexual assault
Provide resources for both immediate referral and continued learning by the health care professional
The sexually assaulted patient
Sadly, it is guaranteed that every physician will work with a patient who has been sexually assaulted. It is commonly estimated that around 20 percent of women and 3 percent of men will be sexually assaulted during their lifetime. Sexual assault occurs worldwide, with youth, poverty, and living in a conflict area contributing to the risk of being victimized. Depending on your specialty you may treat victims acutely or in follow-up. Even if you never perform a forensic rape exam immediately following the attack, it will be helpful to know what the exam entails and how it may impact your patient. If you are an emergency physician, ob/gyn, or pediatrician, you may be called upon to collect forensic evidence as part of the acute care of a sexual assault victim. The quality of the care you provide can have far-reaching effects for the patient – physically, legally, and psychologically. There is evidence that the patient's experience of the health care interaction can impact the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in the future.
Reviews of the National Ambulatory Care Database illustrate the need for better training and management in the care of sexually assaulted patients.
Information
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Emergency Care of the Abused , pp. 100 - 132Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2008
References
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