Open AccessACOG Committee Opinion No. 777: Sexual Assault
Author(s) -
Thomas R. Simon,
Alex E. Crosby,
Francis Annor,
Alexandra B. Balaji,
Michele C. Black,
Matthew J. Breiding,
Pamela J. Brown,
Linda L. Dahlberg,
Valerie Daniel,
Heather Dennehy,
Jenny Dills,
Faye Floyd,
Angie S. Guinn,
Shalon M. Irving,
E. Lynn Jenkins,
Linda L. Johnson,
Katie Jones,
A. Knuth,
Yang Liu,
Jennifer Middlebrooks,
Daniel Shelby,
Mark Stevens,
Mikel L. Walters,
Jing Wang,
Likang Xu,
Xinjian Zhang,
Rodney Baxter,
Lisa Carley- Baxter,
Lilia Filippenko,
Joel Hampton,
Christopher Krebs,
Nelson Slater Mayo,
Andy Peytchev,
Angela Pitts,
David Roe,
Susan Rooker,
Steven L. Thomas,
Jessica R. Williams,
Kathleen C. Basile,
James A. Mercy,
Linda E. Saltzman,
Sharon G. Smith
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
obstetrics and gynecology (new york. 1953. online)/obstetrics and gynecology
Language(s) - Uncategorized
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1873-233X
pISSN - 0029-7844
DOI - 10.1097/aog.0000000000003178
Subject(s) - medicine , sexual assault , psychiatry , unintended pregnancy , suicide prevention , public health , poison control , health care , occupational safety and health , family medicine , reproductive health , statutory law , sex offense , sexual violence , mental health , medical emergency , sexual abuse , nursing , family planning , population , environmental health , pathology , political science , law , economics , research methodology , economic growth
Sexual violence continues to be a major public health problem affecting millions of adults and children in the United States. Medical consequences of sexual assault include sexually transmitted infections; mental health conditions, including posttraumatic stress disorder; and risk of unintended pregnancy in reproductive-aged survivors of sexual assault. Obstetrician-gynecologists and other women's health care providers play a key role in the evaluation and management of sexual assault survivors and should screen routinely for a history of sexual assault. When sexual violence is identified, individuals should receive appropriate and timely care. A clinician who examines sexual assault survivors in the acute-care setting has a responsibility to comply with state and local statutory or policy requirements for the use of evidence-gathering kits. This document has been updated to include model screening protocols and questions, relevant guidelines from other medical associations, trauma-informed care, and additional guidance regarding acute evaluation of survivors and evidence-gathering kits.