Healthcare Needs of Women after Recent Sexual Assault

After a recent sexual assault, very few women report their assault to police, but about a third of women seek healthcare. The healthcare needs of the women and reasons for seeking healthcare can help inform service delivery decisions. Little is known about the scope of women's healthcare needs beyond injuries. The impact of healthcare needs on decisions to report and availability for follow-up is unknown. In this observational study the authors explored the healthcare needs of 1427 Canadian women who experienced sexual assault in the last 3 to 7 days. Each were seen by a sexual assault nurse examiner from a team who travelled to the patients at Emergency Departments across the city. Almost a quarter of women needed additional healthcare beyond the parameters of what SANEs provide and needed to remain in the Emergency for this care. Typically, women requiring additional care were older, more injured, and had been assaulted by intimate partners. Very few were available for follow-up or complied with follow-up referrals. The care was provided in busy Emergency Departments, but still the women reported very high satisfaction with their care. After receiving information and support for their choices, many chose to report to the police. These findings highlight the importance of patients’ initial interactions with trauma-informed healthcare personnel who have dedicated time to spend with them, as well as the location of services within or near full-service health centres. The results provide implications for further training, research and service delivery.