Providing Quality Care to the Sexual Assault Survivor: Education and Training for Medical Professionals

Health care providers who perform sexual assault examinations can assist patients who report experiencing a sexual assault by increasing their knowledge and skills in sexual assault care, and serving as Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) coordinators, or as SART team members, in their communities. With little additional material, this training could be provided as a component of basic midwifery and/or advanced practice nursing education programs. This article reviews the essential steps and required training for conducting sexual assault examinations.