What to Expect at the Hospital Emergency Room
- You may request that someone remain with you at the hospital. The hospital can contact a YWCA Stepping Stones Rape Crisis advocate for you.
- With your permission, a pelvic exam will be conducted.
- You will be checked for injuries and can be tested for sexually transmitted infections(STI) and pregnancy. Follow up care and treatment is important because you may not know that you have a STI until several weeks or months after it has been transmitted. Follow up testing for STIs is recommended six to eight weeks following an assault and can be completed at Student Health Service. Pregnancy cannot be diagnosed for that episode of intercourse for two to three weeks. Discuss your concerns about pregnancy and STIs with the doctor. He or she may give you emergency contraceptive pills at the time of the exam. OSF St. Joseph Medical center will not provide emergency contraception. You should receive information on any medication given to you. Make sure you know the name, dosage, purpose and possible side effects of any medication you receive.
- Some assailants may use drugs to physically control their victims and render them defenseless. If you believe that you were drugged, inform your doctor. Blood or urine tests may detect the presence of drugs in your system; however, testing should be done as soon as possible because some drugs can only be detected within six to eight hours after ingestion.
- With your permission the doctor will complete a rape evidence kit and also collect other physical evidence of rape (samples of body fluids, hair, fingernail scrapings) to be turned over the police.
- Hospital personnel are required to contact police when they provide treatment for injuries resulting from a crime. No identifying information is provided to the police and you do not have to talk with the police. If you speak with the police they may want to retain your clothing as evidence. You may take a change of clothing with you to the hospital, or the hospital can provide you with a change of clothing.
Important Sexual Assault Links
