Sexual Assault Medical Forensic Examinations
Overarching Issues > Victim-Centered Care > Patient priorty as an emergency case
Give patients priority as emergency cases
Recognize that every minute patients spend waiting to be examined may cause loss of evidence and undue trauma. Individuals disclosing a recent sexual assault should be quickly transported to the exam site, promptly evaluated, treated for serious injuries, and undergo a medical forensic exam. (For more discussion on this topic, see C.2. Triage and Intake.)Go to the Next Section: Victim-Centered Care > Patient privacy
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- This section: Victim Centered Care (Adobe PDF)
- Full document: A National Protocol for Sexual Assault Medical Forensic Examinations (Adobe PDF)
- Goals of the Protocol
- Recommendations at a Glance
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Overarching Issues
- Coordinated Team Approach
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Victim-Centered Care
- Patient priorty as an emergency case
- Patient privacy
- Exam adapted to patients' needs and circumstances
- Issues commonly faced by patients from specific populations
- Importance of victim services within the exam process
- Importance of personal support persons in the exam room
- Requests for a responder of a specific gender
- Explanation of procedures during the exam process
- Integration of medical and forensic exam procedures
- Patient safety during the exam process
- Information patients can review at their conveniance
- Physical comfort needs of patients
- Informed Consent
- Confidentiality
- Reporting to Law Enforcement
- Payment for the Examination under VAWA
- Operational Issues
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The Examination Process
- Initial Contact
- Triage and Intake
- Documentation by Health Care Personnel
- The Medical Forensic History
- Photography
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Exam and Evidence Collection Procedures
- Forensic purpose of the exam
- Collecting as much evidence as possible
- Issues related to consent to sexual contact
- Testing of biological evidence
- Exposure to infectious materials and evidence contamination
- Importance of semen evidence
- Addressing patient needs' and concerns
- Explanation of exam and evidence collection procedures
- Conducting the exam and documenting findings
- Evidence to submit to the crime lab for analysis
- Other evidence
- Medical specimens separate from forensic specimins
- Drug-Facilitated Sexual Assault
- STI Evaluation and Care
- Pregnancy Risk Evaluation and Care
- Discharge and Followup
- Examiner Court Appearances
- Appendix A. Developing Customized Protocols: Considerations for Jurisdictions
- Appendix B. Creation of Sexual Assault Response Teams
- Bibliography
- Sexual Assault Forensic Examiner Technical Assistance Web Site
