Emergency Care for Sexual Assault Victims

If you’ve experienced sexual assault, UPMC’s doctors and nurses can help.

The most important thing is for you to come to the hospital after a sexual assault. Our trained nurses provide treatment and emotional support, and can help you with medical and legal options, too.

What Are Sexual Assault Services? 

If you’ve experienced sexual assault, visit your UPMC hospital’s emergency department. You can go alone, with another person, or with the police — the most important thing is to seek help.   

Some of our emergency departments have trained nurses on staff called sexual assault nurse examiners (SANE), who help people who’ve experienced sexual assault. A SANE can treat sexual assault victims who are age 14 or older.

The sooner you visit the emergency department after sexual assault, the better. Experts recommend that doctors and nurses examine you within 72 hours (three days) of experiencing sexual assault for the best chance of collecting DNA.

DNA is a molecule that contains a person’s unique genetic code. DNA can help law enforcement prosecute the individual(s) who sexually assaulted you. Experts can collect DNA for up to seven days following a sexual assault.

Even if it’s been more than seven days since you’ve experienced sexual assault, you should still seek treatment. Getting physical and mental (psychological) treatment can help you recover from sexual assault.

Who Are Sexual Assault Services For?

Sexual assault is sexual contact or action that one or more people take against another person without their consent. 

Consent means all people engaged in sexual activity are conscious and agree to that activity. Consent is an ongoing process, and you can withdraw consent at any time during sexual activity. If someone continues engaging in sexual activity after you withdraw consent, that's sexual assault.

Types of sexual assault include:

• Rape, which is when someone forces you to have sex (intercourse) or sexually penetrates your body without consent.
• Attempted rape.
• Forced sexual acts.
• Child molestation or incest.
• Unwanted sexual touching or fondling.
• Sexual contact or actions that occur with a person who can’t consent. For example, using drugs or alcohol can impact your ability to consent.

If you or someone you care about has had any of these experiences, UPMC can help.

What Sexual Assault Services Do You Offer?  

Visit any UPMC emergency department to receive sexual assault services. A SANE will be with you throughout your visit.

The SANE can:

• Provide treatment for your physical injuries and provide any medical tests you need.
• Help you file a police report. This includes the nurse asking you about the details of your sexual assault.
• Offer emotional support.
• Provide treatment to prevent sexually transmitted infections and pregnancy.
• Help you understand your legal options.
• Take photographs of your injuries.
• Examine and photograph your clothing. (If you changed your clothes, bring the clothing you were wearing during the assault to the emergency department in a paper bag.)
• Collective evidence (this is also known as forensic evidence collection). During this process, the SANE will take samples of your hair, blood, and/or saliva, and may also gently swab your genitals or other areas to collect cells. They’ll send the evidence to a lab for testing. Experts use forensic evidence to find DNA of the person or people who sexually assaulted you.

Each of these steps is optional. The SANE will discuss them with you and give you the choice to have them or not. You may decide to have the nurse help you with some steps but say no to others.

Most emergency department visits for sexual assault last several hours.

Our main priority is to help you deal with the physical and emotional effects of sexual assault. Sexual assault services also help law enforcement take action against the person who assaulted you.

Why Choose UPMC for Sexual Assault Services?

We know that seeking treatment for sexual assault might feel difficult. But it’s important to go to an emergency room if you’ve experienced sexual assault. Seeking medical care can help make sure you’re safe and healthy.

UPMC has sexual assault nurse examiners (SANE) on staff to help you if you’ve experienced sexual assault. Research shows receiving treatment from a SANE can help you recover from the trauma of a sexual assault. It also helps law enforcement prosecute the person who sexually assaulted you.

Our goal is to help you get the care you need so you can recover from sexual assault.