The Epidemiology of Female Rape Victims Who Seek Immediate Medical Care: Temporal Trends in the Incidence of Sexual Assault and Acquaintance Rape

Women who seek medical care following sexual assault are usually evaluated and treated in an emergency department (ED). Therefore, EDs can be an important source of sexual assault surveillance data. The authors compared the incidence of sexual assault presenting for emergency care in a single county during July to November of 1974 and 1991. Participants included all female sexual assault victims aged 14 and older who presented for ED evaluation. Treating physicians prospectively collected data using standardized forms. The z statistic was used to compare sexual assault incidence. There was a 60% increase in the incidence of sexual assault victims presenting for emergency care in 1991 compared to 1974, primarily due to an increase in the incidence of women presenting to the ED after rapes by known assailants. In contrast, the annual incidence of reported stranger assaults was similar in the two study years
Author: 
Magid,David J.
Houry,Debra
Koepsell,Thomas D.
Ziller,Andrew
Soules,Michael R.
Jenny,Carole
Notes: 
10.1177/0886260503259046
Reprint Status: 
IN FILE
Start Page: 
3
End Page: 
12
Journal/Periodical Name: 
Journal of Interpersonal Violence
Volume: 
19
Issue: 
1
Abstract: 
The emergency department is an important source of information about sexual assault occurrence since victims of sexual assault usually go to the emergency department for medical assistance after being assaulted. This is a study comparing the number of female sexual assault victims treated in a Colorado county's emergency department between July and November of 1974 and 1991. It was hypothesized that there would be a significant increase in the incidence of sexual assault between 1974 and 1991. As predicted, there was a 60% increase in sexual assault incidence with this increase primarily caused by an increase in sexual assaults involving known assailants. Moreover, victims in the emergency department reported more physical force and physical injury in 1991 when compared to 1974. Additional differences between study years (e.g., incidence of oral/anal intercourse during assaults as well as administration of pregnancy prophylaxis and antibiotics) are also presented. Implications of these findings concerning rates of acquaintance rape, reporting rates, and changes in treatment practices are discussed.
Topic Areas: 
Injury; medical response; statistics
Reference Type: 
JOUR
Reference ID: 
2402
Publication Date: 
2004/01/01