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Management of the Sexually Assaulted Patient: Utilization of the “Forensic Survey”

Evangeline Barefoot and Laura O’Donnell

Hospitals, doctor’s offices, and urgent care centers are often where sexual assault survivors find themselves when seeking medical services. Too often are these facilities ill-equipped to care for the unique needs these patients possess. As a greater number of victims surface in search of care, medical providers and facilities necessitate more preparedness to meet these client requirements. The sexually assaulted patient is a trauma patient and should be treated equally utilizing the well-accepted primary and secondary surveys as endorsed by the Emergency Nurses Association. Following the primary and secondary surveys, the forensic survey should also be considered by healthcare providers to ensure vigilant forensic considerations are made leading to both proper evidence collection and referrals to community resources.