Times Talk informs attendees what to expect from a sexual assault exam as part of domestic and sexual assault awareness month

BY GRANT ROWLEY

With April being Domestic and Sexual Assualt Awareness Month, Times Talk had a presentation last Wednesday on the steps taken during a sexual assault exam. The presenters Trisha Haskell, a forensics program coordinator and nurse and Shaley Knickerbocker, a sexual assault examiner at Hays Med walked through the steps of a sexual assault exam with steps on what you can do to get there.  

“First of all, you need to get to us,” Haskell said. “We are at the emergency room in the hospital, just walk into the ER and our first step is to just make sure that you’re healthy.” 

Haskell and Knickerbocker said that a sexual assault forensic exam can be completed at any time at the request of the victim. However, if victims don’t feel comfortable going to the hospital right away, they can call Hays Med and ask for a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE). A SANE nurse is someone who has gone through extra training on top of being a nurse to treat and examine victims. 

“We would check you from head to toe to make sure everything is nice and healthy,” Haskell said. “Before we would move to a separate exam room to talk more in-depth about what may have occurred to you. During this, we just want to make sure you’re healthy while collecting any evidence we can along the way. You can also decline to do any step along the way, again we want to make sure we have your full consent before any tests are done.”

The first part of this step would deal with checking for any outside and inside medical concerns, including injuries like bruising, strangulation, intoxication, and mental health. 

After the exam other tests can be done for test for sexually transmitted infections or HIV tests. These tests are only done if they have verbal and written consent. They will never force someone to do a test you are not comfortable with. 

Their whole talk can be found on the Times Talk Archive through the Forsyth Library where more in-depth information about the processes they take to get individuals help can be found.  

Haskell and Knickerbocker provided other ways to reach out to the sexual assault response team. Those in need can call law enforcement either by University Police (785)-628-5304 or Hays PD (785)-625-1011. Another way to reach out is to the crime labs, KBI, Great Bend (620)-603-7112, or in Topeka (785)-296-1137. 

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