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Frequently Asked Questions
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| Prevention |
| What acts constitute a sexual assault? |
| How common is sexual assault? |
| What can I do to let my patients know how to avoid being sexually assaulted or becoming a perpetrator of sexual assault? |
| Diagnosis |
| How do patients who have been sexually assaulted present for medical care? |
| What elements of the history need to be recorded in the medical chart of a patient who has been sexually assaulted? |
| Are specimens collected to be sent to the hospital laboratory or to a different location? |
| Consultation for Diagnosis |
| What is a sexual assault response team and a sexual assault nurse examiner? |
| Do all sexual assault cases require consultation with a sexual assault nurse examiner? |
| Must law enforcement be consulted when a sexual assault patient presents for care? |
| Hospitalization |
| Do traumatic injuries ever dictate hospitalization in sexual assault cases? |
| What mental health indicators should lead to hospitalization of a sexual assault patient? |
| Non-drug Therapy |
| When should physicians offer psychological support to sexual assault patients? |
| Does psychological support make a difference in outcome? |
| How can physicians modify history and examination procedures to optimize psychological support of patients? |
| Drug Therapy |
| Which STDs can be prevented with drug therapy? |
| What medications should be administered to prevent pregnancy after a sexual assault? |
| Is the administration of antiretrovirals effective in preventing transmission of HIV after sexual assault in humans? |
| Patient Education |
| Do I need to provide written or verbal patient education after sexual assault? |
| How do patients learn about the results of the forensic kit testing? |
| Do most patients comprehend all the education information given after a sexual assault? |
| Consultation for Management |
| Whom may I consult for management of the traumatic injuries found in a sexual assault patient? |
| When should I consult a sexual assault nurse examiner for management issues? |
| Do I need to consult law enforcement for management in all cases of sexual assault? |
| Follow-up |
| Do sexual assault patients require follow-up for mental health issues? |
| When should I be concerned that pregnancy prophylaxis might have failed? |
| Do I need to do repeated testing for STDs during follow-up and, if so, which STDs? |
Sexual Assault
