PATTERNS OF GENITAL INJURY IN FEMALE SEXUAL ASSAULT VICTIMS

OBJECTIVE: New colposcopic protocols allow examiners to better documen t genital trauma in rape victims. We report our findings on the locati ons and types of genital injury seen in female assault victims versus women engaging in consensual sex. STUDY DESIGN: Physical examinations were performed on 311 rape victims seen by San Luis Obispo County's Su spected Abuse Response Team between 1985 and 1993 and contemporaneousl y on 75 women after consensual sexual intercourse. RESULTS: Among 213 (68%) victims with genital trauma, 162 (76%) had 3.1 mean sites of inj ury. Comparatively, 8 (11%) consenting women had just single-site trau ma. Two hundred (94%) victims had trauma at one or more of four locati ons, as follows: posterior fourchette, labia minora, hymen, fossa navi cularis. Trauma types varied by site; tears appeared most often on the posterior fourchette and fossa, abrasions appeared on the labia, and ecchymosis was seen on the hymen. CONCLUSION: A localized pattern of g enital trauma can frequently be seen in women reporting nonconsensual sexual intercourse; such findings are useful for the clinical forensic examiner.