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- Direct medical follow-up for repeated examination and testing.
- Stress the importance of adequate and early psychological follow-up for all sexual abuse patients.
- Inform patients how to obtain legal follow-up provided by law enforcement and advocate consultation.
| | Elements of Follow-up After Sexual Assault in Adults (table)
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Direct medical follow-up for repeated examination and testing.  |
- On follow-up, perform:
- Physical examination to assess for healing of all traumatic injuries and signs of new STDs
- Repeated pregnancy testing if a patient does not have expected menses
- Serologic testing for hepatitis B, syphilis, and HIV if indicated based on the potential transmission from assault and the initial test results after the assault
- Repeated hepatitis B vaccination at 1 and 6 months if the first dose was given during the examination
- See table Elements of Follow-up After Sexual Assault in Adults.
| Background | Back to top
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Stress the importance of adequate and early psychological follow-up for all sexual abuse patients.  |
- Refer all patients who have suffered from sexual assault for immediate psychological follow-up treatment.
- Inform patients that they may experience flashbacks of the assault as well as shock and disbelief, shame, self-blame, anger, isolation, and loss of control.
- Discuss the possibility that many patients develop anxiety, depression, and phobias as well as nonspecific somatic complaints including headaches, insomnia, and sleep disturbances.
- See table Elements of Follow-up After Sexual Assault in Adults.
| Background | Back to top
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Inform patients how to obtain legal follow-up provided by law enforcement and advocate consultation. |
- Offer immediate consultation with law enforcement to begin the process of crime investigation; this will lead to follow-up with the case detective.
- If patients decline initial contact with law enforcement, provide the name and number of the responding officer and station, or inform patients to call local police if they choose to pursue legal prosecution in the future.
- Inform patients that a rape crisis or legal advocate can more fully explain the course of events that will unfold after their case is given to the local police detective.
- Inform adult patients that in general, competent-adult sexual assault cases cannot proceed without the cooperation and testimony of the patient.
- See table Elements of Follow-up After Sexual Assault in Adults.
| Background | Back to top
| | | FAQs |
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| Carolyn J. Sachs, MD, MPH has no financial relationships with pharmaceutical companies, biomedical device manufacturers, or health-care related organizations.
Steven E. Weinberger, MD, FACP, Acting Editor, PIER, has stock holdings in Glaxosmithkline and Abbott. |
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Sexual Assault
