Sexual Assault Exams At WRC
A Sexual Assault Exam can be unnerving for most people. It’s scary if you don’t know what to expect. First of all, a sexual assault exam is completely in your control. The Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner will ask for your explicit and informed consent each step of the way. An advocate will be with you the entire way-before, during, and after the exam to provide you with information and support so that you’re not alone through this process. The Rape Crisis Center is built around providing you with the best care after a sexual assault has occurred. It’s a confidential and private facility made specifically for providing you with sexual assault services. You can call for a sexual assault exam 24/7 at (405) 701-5660.
The Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners will provide you with an exam up to 9 days after a sexual assault. If you are unsure that you have been sexually assaulted or it is past 9 days, please call and speak with the S.A.N.E. to determine if an exam can still be completed. The sooner you receive medical care, the better as some of the medications can’t be given after a certain amount of time and some of the injuries may have healed by the time you come in.
A standard sexual assault exam consists of paperwork first. The paperwork is designed so that the SANE (Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner) does no further harm to you and so that they know what needs to be examined. They won’t do anything that is unnecessary. After you fill out a few forms, the SANE will ask you for a detailed account of what happened in your own words. Next the SANE will swab your mouth with a q-tip. After that, they will ask you to change into a hospital gown so the SANE can check you from head-to-toe for any injuries that might need to be documented, photographed, or cared for. The final part of the exam is STI/STD medications and emergency contraception (if applicable). This entire process can take anywhere from an hour to several hours. An advocate will be with you the entire time to talk you through the process. If you were strangled or have injuries that go beyond the scope of the Rape Crisis Center, the S.A.N.E. will assess if you need additional medical care and make an appropriate referral.
Upon completion of the exam and rape kit, the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner will give it to the law enforcement jurisdiction where the assault happened. If you are choosing to report, then they will be given your name and will open the kit to start an investigation. If you are choosing not to report, your kit will have a confidential number on it and will not have anything identifying about you on it. It will be stored unopened. If you have any questions about the exam, you can speak with the S.A.N.E. Coordinator or Assistant S.A.N.E. Coordinator.
