Estimated one in five women and one in 16 men In Australia, she experienced sexual violence.
After such a traumatic experience, it’s comprehensible that many are usually not sure in the event that they wish to report it to the police. In fact, Less than 10% Australian women who experience sexual assault, if he gives a police report.
In Australia it’s No closing date After notifying the sexual assault to the police. However, there are strict time frames for collecting forensic evidence, which can sometimes be a very important a part of a police investigation, no matter whether it begins.
This implies that the choice whether to undergo a medical forensic examination should be taken quite quickly after the assault.
I work as a medical forensic examiner. Here’s what you can expect for those who present a medical forensic examination after sexual assault.
A team of specialists
There are about 100 sexual assault services in Australia, providing 24-hour care. As with other healthcare areas, there are additional challenges in regional and rural areaswhere there are sometimes further distances from travel and deficiencies.
Sexual assault services in Australia are free, whatever the status of Medicare. To find the closest service, you can call 1800 respect (1800 737 732) or Full stop australia (1800 385 578) who can also provide immediate support for telephone counseling.
It is very important to call the local sexual assault service before appearing. They can provide victims to experience information and advice to stop delay and make the method as helpful as possible.
Consultations often occur within the Hospital Emergency Department, which has a designated forensic apartment or within the Specialist Forensic Service.
The victim-over is seen by doctor or nurse Trained in the sphere of medical and criminal care. There is a sexual assault, crisis worker or social employee to support the patient and provides advice on advice. This known as “Integrated answer“With medical and psychosocial employees working together.
In most cases, the victim’s survival might also have the presence of his own support person.
Depending on what the victim is wants, the doctor or nurse will take the history of the robbery to conduct any medical care which may be needed (e.g. emergency anticretation) and conduct the examination.
Sexual assault services are all the time very conscious dishes to victims of selection in the sphere of medical forensic examination. If a person presents a sexual assault service, he can receive advice and medical care without undergoing forensic examinations if he doesn’t wish to.
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Collecting forensic samples
Samples collected during a medical forensic examination can sometimes discover the DNA of the perpetrator or intoxicants (alcohol or drugs that can be relevant to the examination). . Possibility window Collecting these samples can be as short as 12 hours or as much as 5-7 days, depending on the character of the sexual assault.
In most Australia, an adult who has experienced a recent sexual assault, you can offer a medical forensic examination without submitting a report for the police.
Depending on the condition or territory of the forensic samples, you can often store for 3 to 12 months (as much as 100 years in Tasmania). This allows victims of time to survive definitely whether or not they wish to release them to the police for processing.
A health care provider or nurse will take samples using a sexual assault investigation kit or “rape set”.
Collecting these samples may include taking swabs to detect DNA from external and internal genital areas and wherever DNA transfer may occur. This may come from skin cells during which the perpetrator affected the victim’s snack or from body fluids, including sperm or saliva.
A health care provider or nurse conducting the examination is minimized by re -traumatization, providing information, elections and control of the victim at every stage of the method.
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What about sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy?
During the consultation, the doctor or nurse will address all fears about sexually transmitted infections (sti) and pregnancy if concerned.
In most cases, the danger of sexually transmitted diseases is low. But check tests for 1-2 weeks by way of infection, reminiscent of chlamydia and gonorrhea, and after 6-12 weeks In the case of infections reminiscent of syphilis and HIV, it is normally advisable.
Emergency contraception can be provided (sometimes called “in the morning after a pill”) prevent pregnancy. It can be downloaded as much as five days after sexual assault (however the faster) with pregnancy tests advisable after 2-3 weeks.
Everything has improved over time
When I was a younger doctor at the tip of the 90s, taking foreheads were often chargeable for an busy international trainee and gynecology on the Emergency Department, which regularly managed many patients and had a small training in the sphere of criminalistics. Usually there was no supporting advisor.
Anegdotically each the doctor and the patient were traumatic through this experience. Studies show that when specialized integrated services are usually not provided, a sense of powerlessness of the victim They are enlarged.
But the way in which we conduct medical forensic examinations after sexual assault in Australia has improved through the years.
Thanks to practices focused on the patient and the appointed criminal and advisory staff, the patient’s experience is believed Strengthening position than for re -traumatizing.
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Melissa Meehan/AAP
Our research
In latest studies published in Australian Journal of General PracticeMy colleagues and I studied the experience of medical criminal examination from the angle of a victim.
We analyzed 291 patients who provide sexual assault services in New South Wales (where I work) for 4 years.
About 75% of patients said that the study was calming and one other 20% said it was high-quality. Only 2% said it was traumatic. Most (98%) stated that they’d recommend a friend present within the service of sexual assault in the event that they were in a similar situation.
While patients talked positively in regards to the care received, many commented that the sexual assault service was not visible enough. They didn’t know learn how to find it and even existed.
We know that many victims’ victims don’t present a sexual assault service or undergo a medical forensic examination after sexual assault. So we must do more to extend the visibility of those services.