Category: Sexual Assault

Victim Rights Law Center has a webinar coming up on one of my favorite topics–patient privacy. That will be the focus of the session, Identifying and Protecting Survivors’ Privacy Rights: Schools, SANEs and Student Survivors, which will be held May 16th at 1pm ET. It’s a topic that’s pretty relevant to my work right now, and I know I’m not the only one. The always excellent Kim Day and Jesse Mindlin will be presenting, so try and attend if you can. I imagine it’ll be archived, but I don’t have fidelity on that yet. From the registration page:

During this webinar, Jessica Mindlin and Kim Day will discuss unique privacy issues campus sexual assault survivors face. Objectives include: outlining care-related privacy issues a survivor may confront post-assault; describing SANE privacy obligation when providing care to student survivors; and identifying and anticipating medical forensic exam-related privacy considerations for student survivors and the sexual assault examiner who provides their assault-related care.

You can register here.

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Have you checked out the FHO store lately? You can find our newest research brief, Aging Bruises Based On Color, plus our original guide, Injury Following Consensual Sex. Both available now for electronic download.

A few new updates re: STDs (since April is STD Awareness Month, in addition to Sexual Assault Awareness and Child Abuse Prevention Months)

There’s new surveillance data out from the CDC on extragenital chlamydia and gonorrhea infections in men who have sex with men, and it’s certainly relevant to sexual assault practice, so if you haven’t read the report, you can find it here. The study’s limited in that it only includes samples from 5 cities (and it’s critical you know what the incidence and prevalence rates are in your own service area), but it’s a good reminder that we need to consider more than just potential genital infection.

Not so coincidentally, I noticed IAFN posted this report to their social media pages today–apparently once again we can blame it on the hive mind. I haven’t had the opportunity to read it yet, but I’m about to get on a plane, and nothing says leave me alone like a report with the words syphilis and gonorrhea in the title 🙂

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Have you checked out the FHO store lately? You can find our newest research brief, Aging Bruises Based On Color, plus our original guide, Injury Following Consensual Sex. Both available now for electronic download.

The Tribal Forensic Healthcare project has a webinar coming up in June that touches on a topic I have yet to see as the subject of a webinar: Sexual Assault Examiner Skills Sustainability. The session will be held June 21st at 1pm ET. All their webinars are archived; the session includes nursing and physician continuing education units (so it’s great for those of you looking at SANE recertification). From the announcement:

It can be difficult to maintain and practice the specific skills required to remain competent and confident in the role of sexual assault nurse examiner. This webinar will discuss the need for assessing competency, a variety of ways to address or measure competency, and review the process of moving from novice to expert in this specialty role.

Register here.

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Have you checked out the FHO store lately? You can find our newest research brief, Aging Bruises Based On Color, plus our original guide, Injury Following Consensual Sex. Both available now for electronic download.

Ahead of this month’s Articles of Note, I wanted to highlight the newly published American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) committee opinion on sexual assault. You can read the full text here for free. However, the bottom line for those who just want to know are, of course the recommendations:

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists makes the following recommendations and conclusions regarding sexual violence:

• Sexual assault and rape are pervasive problems in the United States, creating a major effect on public health.
• Obstetrician–gynecologists and other women’s health care providers should screen all women for a history of sexual assault.
• Clinicians who evaluate survivors of sexual assault in the acute phase must comply with certain medical and legal requirements.
• Clinicians should recognize the short-term and long-term health consequences of sexual assault, such as infection, pregnancy, and mental health conditions and manage them appropriately.
• Clinicians should incorporate a trauma-informed care framework when assessing the needs of sexual assault survivors.

Pleased to see a shout out to forensic nurses and links to IAFN resources in the full opinion.

Full opinion here.

Summary here.

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Have you checked out the FHO store lately? You can find our newest research brief, Aging Bruises Based On Color, plus our original guide, Injury Following Consensual Sex. Both available now for electronic download.

If you missed Julie Valentine’s webinar last month on DNA in groping cases, you’re in luck–aside from listening to the archived version of *that* presentation, Dr. Valentine is presenting a SANE-specific talk for SAFEta. The webinar will be held April 11th at 2pm ET. From the registration page:

Improving the overall response to sexual assault includes understanding how touch DNA evidence impacts groping sexual assault cases. This webinar will illustrate the importance of these cases and highlight proposed guidelines for evidence collection

Register here.

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Have you checked out the FHO store lately? You can find our newest research brief, Aging Bruises Based On Color, plus our original guide, Injury Following Consensual Sex. Both available now for electronic download.

Last week, Latino USA (in conjunction with Rewire. News) reported on this story of sexual abuse in US immigration detention centers. It is powerful and raw, and much of what you’ll hear is sadly familiar:

“There’s a long and extensive pattern of sexual abuse and harassment in immigration detention facilities, even though the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) was introduced in DHS facilities in 2014. Over a ten-month period, Latino USA partnered with Rewire.Newsand dug into one specific case: that of Laura Monterrosa’s sexual abuse allegations at the T. Don Hutto Detention Center. What we learned after reviewing documents obtained through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request raised questions about the efficacy of internal investigations at immigration facilities across the country and the safety of thousands of people detained there.”

It’s an important news story, and incredibly well reported. Take the time to listen if you are able.

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Have you checked out the FHO store lately? You can find our newest research brief, Aging Bruises Based On Color, plus our original guide, Injury Following Consensual Sex. Both available now for electronic download.

Futures Without Violence has a webinar coming up–Addressing Alcohol’s Role in Campus Sexual Assault. The session will be held March 25th at 3pm ET. IT will be recorded and archived. From the website:

Alcohol use plays a role in 50 to 70% of campus sexual assaults, which has generated heightened consideration of the intersections of sexual assault and alcohol use on campus. This webinar will focus on evidence-based strategies for prevention and response, both in the campus health center and the wider campus community. Current NIAAA research on the intersection of violence and disabilities, and trauma-informed clinical interventions that address both alcohol use and sexual violence will be presented.  The new resource Addressing Alcohol’s Role in Campus Sexual Assault: A Toolkit by and for Prevention Specialists will also be reviewed, with special attention to how to operationalize key prevention strategies.

As a result of attending this webinar, participants will be better able to:

• Describe student with disabilities’ experiences of campus sexual violence and alcohol prevention programming
• Implement an evidence-based clinical intervention to prevent and respond to sexual violence in their campus health center
• Identify at least two prevention strategies to address alcohol’s role in sexual assault
• Identify next steps for their prevention work on their campus

Register for the session here.

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Have you checked out the FHO store lately? You can find our newest research brief, Aging Bruises Based On Color, plus our original guide, Injury Following Consensual Sex. Both available now for electronic download.

EVAWI’s Kris Rose and Kim Day from IAFN will be hosting a webinar, Thinking Outside the Kit: Transportation Options for Improving Access to Sexual Assault Medical Forensic Exams. The session will be held March 7th at 1pm ET. From the announcement:

Survivors of sexual assault face numerous hurdles in the aftermath of the crime, not the least of which is ensuring they can access a medical-forensic exam conducted by a trained medical professional. These trained professionals, often referred to as Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANE), Sexual Assault Forensic Examiners (SAFE), or Forensic Nurses (FN) ensure that victims’ injuries are treated, prophylaxis against infection and pregnancy are administered, and forensic evidence is expertly collected. Using a trauma-informed approach, SANEs treat victims with respect and dignity, while honoring their choices throughout the process. Research indicates that when victims receive services from a SANE, they are more likely to seek help (e.g., counseling, therapy) and participate in the criminal justice process.

But what happens if the victim doesn’t have transportation to the post assault healthcare services they need? What if the crime occurs in a rural area and the only clinic with trained SANEs is located hours away from where the assault occurred? What if the only transportation available is the bus or taxi, but the victim can’t afford to pay the fares? What if the victim lives in a rural community where there are no buses or taxis? Affordable, safe, discrete, and reliable transportation is key to ensuring that victims of sexual assault have access to medical-forensic exams

Register here.

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Have you checked out the FHO store lately? You can find our newest research brief, Aging Bruises Based On Color, plus our original guide, Injury Following Consensual Sex. Both available now for electronic download.

Here’s a topic rarely discussed in webinars: DNA Evidence in Groping Sexual Assault Cases. The always excellent Dr. Julie Valentine will be presenting the session on February 27th at 2pm ET. From the announcement:

Improving the overall response to sexual assault includes understanding how touch DNA evidence impacts groping sexual assault cases. This webinar will illustrate the importance of these cases and highlight proposed guidelines for evidence collection.

Detailed Learning Objectives:

1. Describe background information on touch DNA in sexual assault cases and factors that influence epithelial cell deposition.

2. Explain evidence collection practice implications from groper case study and research findings.

3. Identify possible suggestions and opportunities to expand evidence collection in groping sexual assault cases in their jurisdictions.

Register for the webinar here.

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Have you checked out the FHO store lately? You can find our newest research brief, Aging Bruises Based On Color, plus our original guide, Injury Following Consensual Sex. Both available now for electronic download.