Difficulties in maintaining confidentiality
Strive to resolve intrajurisdictional conflicts. For example, maintaining confidentiality is often difficult in isolated or small communities where people know one another or word of a crime travels quickly (e.g., school campuses and tribal, military, religious, or immigrant communities). Special precautions must be taken in these situations to preserve confidentiality. Every effort should be made to avoid conflicts of interest (e.g., the investigator is the cousin of the suspect or the health care provider, advocate, or interpreter is an acquaintance of the patient). Give patients as many options as possible to avoid these dilemmas (e.g., allow them to work with a different investigator or be examined at another site or by another examiner, if possible).
Sexual Assault Medical Forensic Examinations
