ACOG Committee Opinion No. 777 Summary: Sexual Assault

Obstet Gynecol. 2019 Apr;133(4):850-851. doi: 10.1097/AOG.0000000000003179.

Abstract

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.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Incidence
  • Practice Guidelines as Topic*
  • Pregnancy
  • Pregnancy, Unwanted*
  • Quality of Life
  • Risk Assessment
  • Sex Offenses / prevention & control*
  • Sex Offenses / psychology
  • Sexually Transmitted Diseases / epidemiology
  • Sexually Transmitted Diseases / prevention & control*
  • Societies, Medical
  • Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / etiology
  • Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / prevention & control*
  • Survivors
  • United States
  • Young Adult