After a sexual assault, you may choose to go to a hospital emergency room for medical care and/or a rape exam.

At the hospital, you may be offered the following options:

  • Immediate attention for medical issues that result from the assault.
  • Testing and possible preventative treatment against sexually transmitted infections (including HIV) and pregnancy.
  • A rape exam for the collection of evidence. You don't have to decide right away what to do with the evidence collected.
  • The option to report to the police. You are entitled to a rape exam whether you choose to report to the police or not.

Some hospitals participate in the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner, or SANE Program. At a SANE hospital, the rape exam is done by a nurse with specialized training in the medical and forensic/legal needs of sexual assault survivors. Learn more about the SANE program and locate a SANE hospital in your area.

Find out what you need to know before you go to the ER and what to expect when you get there.