April is both Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Awareness month. The following article is the second article of a five-week series focusing on raising awareness about sexual assault and child abuse. Locally, HCWC served 660 community members that experienced sexual assault or abuse and 639 children at Roxanne’s House, our Children’s Advocacy Center.
Sexual Assault Forensic Exams (SAFEs), sometimes called “rape kits”, are exams on survivors of sexual violence conducted by a specially trained nurse or physician, usually to gather any evidence of the crime that might be present. Not every assault is going to have physical evidence present, but there are other very important benefits to have a SAFE, whether it occurred less than five days ago or more than five years ago.
One of the more crucial values of these exams is the opportunity for a medical professional to see and determine if there are any injuries or issues that need to be addressed. They may also check for sexually transmitted infections or pregnancy and offer appropriate treatment and follow- up care. They can also serve to answer questions that the victim may have and offer assurances that they are healthy and that their body is normal. After the violation of a sexual assault, someone can feel that their body has betrayed them, and the reassurance that your body is okay often brings a sense of relief.
