Le médecin face aux agressions sexuelles et au viol

Sexual aggressions and rapes are to be considered psychological and medico-legal emergencies. Their management necessitates a good knowledge of the specific legislation, of the rape circumstances, of the physical and psychological effects, and of the procedures that follow the lodging of complaint. Physicians must never refuse receiving the victim of a sexual aggression; they have to help the victim meeting the specialists, either the gynaecologist, or the paediatrician, the urologist or the forensic scientist. Samplings are to be performed, for medico-legal needs, and a precise description of the lesions must be provided on a medical certificate. When necessary, the specialist has to implement specific curative and preventive therapy. However, the follow-up is under the responsibility of the general practitioner. Regional centres have been created in the different regions of France, responsible for a multidisciplinary management of such cases, in association with the local police departments and the organizations for victim assistance.