A Retrospective Descriptive Analysis of Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Records From Sexual Assault Survivors at a Large University Emergency Department From 2003 to 2017

This retrospective descriptive analysis of 837 patients seeking postassault care at an academic hospital in the United States describes characteristics of sexual assault survivors from a sociocultural context, with a specific focus on describing survivors presenting for sexual assault nurse examiner (SANE) exams and confirming existing literature on assault characteristics, such as disabilities and alcohol and/or drug use. Assaults resulting in SANE exams increased over time. Drug and/or alcohol use at the time of the assault was reported in 44.8% of cases and 20.8% of survivors reported having a disability. Understanding the demographic and sexual assault characteristics of survivors is fundamental to providing sensitive and responsive care.

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Sexual Assault: Exploring Real-Time Consequences the Next Day and in Subsequent Days

10.31234/osf.io/twgf3 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Todd Barrett Kashdan ◽

David Disabato ◽

Patrick McKnight ◽

Kerry Kelso ◽

Marla Lauber ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sexual Assault ◽

Well Being ◽

The United States ◽

Small Sample ◽

Adult Women ◽

Subjective Well Being ◽

Sexual Assault Survivors ◽

Sexually Assaulted ◽

Before And After ◽

Assault Survivors

Approximately 15-20% of adult women in the United States have been sexually assaulted. To our knowledge, there are no studies capturing prior functioning and near immediate psychological reactions of sexual assault survivors. In the present study, each night over the course of three weeks, we asked college students to report on their sexual activity and well-being. Six women reported being sexually assaulted at least once. We examined psychological experiences on the days before and after sexual assaults (including negative and positive affect, social anxiety, self-esteem, emotion expressive suppression, and cognitive reappraisal). To examine sexual assault reactions, we used various modeling techniques. Our results suggest that before and after being assaulted, survivors showed no consistent response in subjective well-being. We failed to find a prototypical psychological profile. Despite the small sample, our results dispel the myth that sexual assault survivors are homogeneous in generating and regulating emotions.

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Scoping Review of Access to Emergency Contraception for Sexual Assault Victims in Emergency Departments in the United States

Trauma Violence & Abuse ◽

10.1177/1524838019882023 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 152483801988202

Author(s):

Michelle J. Wang ◽

Alexandra B. Khodadadi ◽

Janet M. Turan ◽

Kari White

Keyword(s):

Sexual Assault ◽

Scoping Review ◽

Emergency Departments ◽

Emergency Contraception ◽

The United States ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Weighted Mean ◽

Sexual Assault Survivors ◽

Secondary Outcomes ◽

Assault Survivors

Objective: We conducted a scoping review of the literature to assess the prevalence of hospital policies regarding emergency contraception (EC) and the frequency that U.S. emergency departments (EDs) provide EC to sexual assault survivors. Study Design: We searched PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and CINAHL from inception to January 2019 for studies that assessed access to EC for sexual assault survivors in EDs. We included English-language studies that surveyed ED staff at U.S. hospitals and reported the weighted mean of the percentage of hospitals with an EC policy for sexual assault survivors and the percentage that provided EC counseling, offered or dispensed EC onsite. Secondary outcomes were rates of testing and prophylaxis for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV. Results: From 390 articles retrieved, 14 studies met the inclusion criteria; all studies were published between 2000 and 2013. Eligible studies surveyed staff at 3,314 hospitals. Overall, 60% (weighted mean) of hospitals had a policy on EC, 75% provided EC counseling, 44% offered EC, and 62% had EC available to dispense onsite. Four studies reported secondary outcomes: 81% of hospitals provided STI testing, 84% provided STI prophylaxis, 64% provided HIV testing, and 53% provided HIV prophylaxis. Conclusion: Existing literature demonstrates significant variability in EC policies and practices for sexual assault survivors in U.S. hospital EDs. Future research should assess whether EC access for survivors has improved in ED settings as well as evaluate persistent or new barriers to access.

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