The Pelvic / Physical Examination and Collection of Evidence
Source: Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault's Sexual Assault Legal Advocate Manual
Advantages and Disadvantages to Seeking Medical Attention After Sexual Assault:
After a sexual assault, medical assistance can be a very important option. The advantages of seeking medical care include:
- treatment of any physical injuries,
- base-line testing for sexually transmitted diseases (since in most cases any diseases transmitted as a result of the recent assault will not be able to be detected yet),
- determination of pre-assault pregnancy status,
- discussing the possibility of being prescribed post-coital medication (the "morning-after" pill) to prevent pregnancy as a result of the recent assault, and
- if the police are involved or plan to be involved shortly, evidence can be collected from the victim's body.
The primary disadvantage to seeking medical attention after a sexual assault is that the process can be painful, uncomfortable and take several hours to complete. Some have reported the examination felt very intrusive after the trauma of rape. However, medical personnel try to be as sensitive as possible. Having a supportive person nearby can help as well.
What is the Difference Between a Pelvic/Physical Exam and Collection of Evidence in a Medical Exam?
The medical examination following a sexual assault can have two primary components, the pelvic/physical examination and the collection of evidence.
The pelvic/physical examination is similar to the procedure most women receive from a physician on an annual basis. Its purpose is to determine vaginal and/or cervical trauma and to test for sexually transmitted diseases. Blood and vaginal swabs may be used to assess the person's health status.
The collection of evidence is usually conducted when the police are involved in investigating the sexual assault. If the assault occurred within the last 72 hours, the chances of finding evidence on the person's body is more likely. Some of the victims clothes, saliva, blood, pubic hair, head hair and swabs (vaginal and/or anal depending on the nature of the assault) generally are taken into evidence.
Both of these medical examination procedures can be conducted at the same time. Hospital emergency rooms and urgent care facilities usually preform the combined medical examination of the pelvic/physical examination and evidence collection. In Madison, Wisconsin, the Meriter Hospital Emergency Room contracts with specially trained Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners to conduct the combined medical examination. If the police are involved and the victim cooperates through the entire investigation, funds from the state administered Crime Victim's Compensation Program can by applied for to pay for the medical examination.
Even if the police are not involved and evidence is not collected, a pelvic/physical examination can be preformed to assess the health of the person who has been sexually assaulted. Often local clinics or the person's primary physician are used to preform the pelvic/physical examination in these circumstances. Since the medical examination would be like a regular physical, the costs could be covered by insurance or incurred as out-of-pocket expenses.
