title: Nature, frequency and duration of genital lesions after consensual sexual intercourse--implications for legal proceedings.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to make a normative description of the nature and duration of genital lesions sustained during consensual sexual intercourse, using the three most commonly used techniques; visualisation using the naked eye, colposcopy and toluidine blue dye followed by colposcopy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ninety eight women were examined within 48 h of consensual sexual intercourse. Fifty of the women were examined twice again within the following 7 days of sexual abstinence after the first examination.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The participants had a median age of 22.4 years and 88% were nulliparous. Lesions were frequent; 34% seen with the naked eye, 49% seen with colposcopy and 52% seen with toluidine blue dye and subsequent colposcopy. The lesions lasted for several days; the median survival times for lacerations were 24, 40 and 80 h, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The legal implications of these findings are that genital lesions by themselves do not corroborate a rape complaint. Genital lesions may, however, corroborate specific details of a case and should be documented as carefully as any other lesion in rape complaints.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, Odense C, Denmark. bastrup@health.sdu.dk
authors.forename: Birgitte Schmidt
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Astrup
authors.forename: Pernille
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ravn
authors.forename: Jens
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lauritsen
authors.forename: Jørgen Lange
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Thomsen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003075:Coitus; D004396:Coloring Agents; D003127:Colposcopy; D003288:Contusions / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D049429:Forensic Pathology; D058869:Gynecological Examination; D006406:Hematoma / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D006924:Hymen / Q000293:injuries; D022125:Lacerations / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D013997:Time Factors; D014048:Tolonium Chloride; D014844:Vulva / Q000293:injuries*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D004396:Coloring Agents; D014048:Tolonium Chloride