title: Characteristics of sexual assaults in which adult victims report penetration by a foreign object.
abstract: This retrospective clinical audit reviews cases of adult sexual assault where the victim alleges that they were penetrated with a foreign object. These assaults were more likely to have positive genital and non-genital findings recorded by the clinician compared to assaults where no object was used. There is a suggestion that these assaults may be more violent with multiple assailants more common and an association with more use of threats and weapons. It is important to ask about the penetrative use of foreign objects in a sexual assault history and for clinicians to be aware of the greater possibility of injury in these cases.
authors.affiliation: Forensic and Medical Sexual Assault Care ACT, PO Box 11, Woden 2606, Australia. elizabeth.sturgiss@act.gov.au <elizabeth.sturgiss@act.gov.au>
authors.forename: Elizabeth Ann
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Sturgiss
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tyson
authors.forename: Vanita
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Parekh
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001003:Anal Canal / Q000293:injuries; D054869:Clinical Audit; D003288:Contusions / Q000473:pathology; D019548:Crime Victims; D005260:Female; D005385:Fingers; D005547:Foreign Bodies; D005554:Forensic Medicine; D006801:Humans; D022125:Lacerations / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D010502:Perineum / Q000293:injuries; D010808:Physical Examination; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012742:Sex Offenses; D014621:Vagina / Q000293:injuries