The experience of sexual assault is difficult enough without having to be physically examined afterward. As a part of Sexual Assault Awareness Week, a presentation, "Taking the Trauma Out of the Exam: What to Expect from the Medical Profession after a Sexual Assault" took place on Tuesday.
Kent Bullis, director of the Amelia T. Wood Health Center, Angie Hershberger, nurse at Ball Memorial Hospital, and Lee Van Donselaar, head of the Ball State Sexual Assault Prevention Outreach Team, explained the basics of what to expect in a medical exam after a sexual assault.
Ball Hospital and the Health Center both offer physical exams and emergency contraception for victims of sexual assault.
For women, the exam is always done by a female nurse or doctor and takes an average three to four hours, Hershberger said.
Bullis said the four most important areas of concern were the potential to contract disease, physical health, mental health and unwanted pregnancy.
Hershberger said for those victims wanting to pursue legal options, Ball Hospital offers forensic testing up to 96 hours after the assault. Forensic testing is the process of obtaining any and all physical evidence of the assault. A forensic kit is used to gather physical evidence, but even clothing pertinent to the assault, for example, could be used as evidence, she said.
"We're just here to document," Hershberger said. "Just because there's no injury does not mean it didn't happen."
Roughly 70 percent of the sexual assault cases at Ball Hospital are from Ball State students, she said.
"I have testified in three sexual assault cases in the last four years," Hershberger said. Ball Hospital interviews patients, asking the basic questions of where they were, what happened and when did it happen.
With the rush of adrenaline and overall trauma of the experience, patients are not always coherent or completely aware of the situation, presenters said. Injuries are often unnoticed by victims; therefore, a head to toe check is done immediately in every case.
Victims are encouraged to seek further help from the Ball State Counseling Center and from support groups.
"Many many victims want nothing to do with counseling," Bullis said.
The trauma of the experience is hard to overcome, but choosing not to go it alone is the first step. The Sexual Assault Prevention Outreach Team is bringing awareness this week to stop sexual violence. Awareness defines problems and paves the road for solutions to be found.
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