If you’ve experienced sexual violence, it’s a really good idea to get a medical examination from a specialist sexual assault medical service. If this happened to you very recently, within the last 2 or 3 weeks, the sooner you get this check-up the better. It’s important because it’s for your health and safety – to ensure you don’t have any physical injuries, and aren’t at risk of a sexually transmitted infection or unwanted pregnancy.
Getting a medical check-up:
If you've contacted police about what happened to you, they can arrange this for you. The examination can also be a chance for the doctor to collect forensic evidence which can be used to help the police find out what happened to you and identify your attacker.
The doctors and nurses who do these examinations are specially trained to care for people who have experienced sexual violence. They will make the whole process as comfortable as possible for you. How much or little of the examination you choose to have, and whether or not you choose to involve the police, will be entirely up to you.
If you don't want to involve the Police but would like a medical check-up contact Safe to talk.(external link)
What will it cost?
All the services provided are free of charge and that includes any medication you’re given, tests that may be needed, and any follow up appointments.
What will happen?
If you’ve already talked to someone from a sexual assault support service or to Police they will have given you some information about what you can expect during the medical examination. If you would like to know more, the following short film shows the medical process:
When you meet the doctor, they’ll explain the process and how they can help you, and will discuss the different options with you. While the thought of the examination might seem scary, the doctor and nurse team care and want the best for you. They’ll listen to you, answer your questions and respect your choices. They won’t judge you.
You might not have had a medical examination like this before. It’s normal to feel embarrassed or whakamā but the doctor and nurse will do everything they can to put you at ease, and you can take a break at any time.
During the actual examination, only the doctor and nurse will be in the room unless you ask for someone else to be there with you.
Your choices:
Depending on your situation, the doctor will talk to you about the different types of examination - a health and safety check, a more thorough (forensic) examination or a 'just in case' examination.
You can choose what you want to happen during the examination and, in what order. Nothing will happen without your consent and you can change your mind at any time.
It’s your decision, and although whānau and support people can be really helpful, ultimately the choice is yours.
Your health and safety is the doctor’s priority. They’ll ask you what happened and if you feel sore in any particular area or if you have any injuries. They’ll check those areas out and make some notes. If you need any treatment they’ll sort that out for you.
After a sexual assault, the risk of getting a sexually transmitted infection (STI) is low, but the doctor will offer testing and can check you for any signs or symptoms. This can include testing for chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis and HIV. If you are concerned about the risk of infection, they can prescribe medication to reduce the likelihood of this happening. They can also check to see if you are immune to hepatitis B, and can offer a vaccination if necessary.
They’ll ask you other questions such as:
These are really personal questions. Unless the doctor is concerned about your safety, no one else will know what you said and your answers can help the doctor ensure you get the best help and support.
If you're at risk of pregnancy, they’ll talk to you about emergency contraception and what your options are. They will also organise a follow-up pregnancy test in 2-3 weeks’ time, if needed.
This usually begins with the health and safety check, but is more thorough. The main reason for this is to collect evidence which might be used during the Police investigation and later in court to:
Swabs (which look similar to cotton buds) are taken from areas where you might have been touched, held or had other physical contact with the attacker. Samples are also taken from your hair and under your fingernails. If you are happy for the doctor to do a genital examination, they will take swabs from this area as well. Your clothes might also be taken away for testing - don’t worry, you’ll be given fresh clothes before you leave.
The doctor will check for any injuries and will document them in a special booklet.
They also may want to check for drugs and alcohol by taking samples of your blood and urine – don’t worry, this is primarily used to check if your drink was “spiked” at all, not to check what you were doing.
Because these examinations are thorough, they take much longer than a normal doctor’s visit – however, you can take a break, or go to the bathroom during it if needed.
The Police may also be able to get evidence from the place where the assault happened. That’s done separately and is called a crime scene investigation.
You might not have decided whether or not you want to involve the Police. In this situation, you can still have the full check-up. The forensic evidence collected can be held for up to six months, giving you time to think about your choices and make a decision without feeling pressured.
By this time you may well be exhausted and keen to go home. You’ll be able to have a shower and change into fresh clothes (they’ll be provided for you), if yours have been taken for evidence. You’ll also be offered a hot drink and something to eat, and will be put in contact with a support person should you require that.
The doctor will talk you through what they’ve found, what medications they’ve given you and why, and sort out any follow up visits or referrals that may be needed. They’ll also give you some information to take away.
They’ll make sure that you have transport organised, and somewhere safe to go afterwards.
If you would like to be seen again by the Sexual Assault service, a follow-up visit will be offered. This might be with a nurse, or another doctor from the team, and usually takes place a couple of weeks after the time you were first seen.
Follow up appointments are free of charge.
All the samples collected, including your clothes, are sealed, labelled and either handed over to police, or stored anonymously if you haven’t yet decided whether or not to involve them. They will be stored securely.
If you do decide to proceed with a police investigation and your case does go to court, the doctor may be asked to talk about the any evidence they found during the examination process.