Loading...
Sexual assault survivors may seek care through multiple avenues, including primary care physicians, emergency physicians, and gynecologists. In Europe, these providers have no specific training to deal with the psychological trauma caused by the event. In this prospective study, 232 survivors of sexual assault who presented to a Department of Forensic Medicine near Paris after seeking medical care at another facility were surveyed about their initial experience.
On the initial visit, the care patients received matched the care they expected for trauma care (40% received trauma care; 44% expected it) and gynecologic care (31% received; 28% expected). Forensic support services were provided more often than patients expected (54% received; 21% …