sexual assault module

Medical Responses to Adults Who Have Experienced Sexual Assault

An interactive educational module for doctors

Medical professionals who have good quality training are well-placed to respond appropriately to adults who disclose sexual assault, thus providing the opportunity to mitigate longer-term health impacts for these people.

Women who experience sexual assault look to their doctors to recognise the effects of sexual assault, raise the issue with their patients, and respond in a supportive way to address the health effects – just as their doctors would respond with a supportive and professional manner to any other health issue.

Interested in obtaining a copy?

Download Module Fact Sheet ( 374 KB)

Download Module Brochure ( 137 KB)

For GPs and specialists

'Medical Responses to Adults Who Have Experienced Sexual Assault' is a comprehensive, interactive 150-page training handbook with questions and case studies designed to be incorporated into both GP and specialist training programs to prepare doctors to care for patients who have been sexually assaulted.

Collaboratively produced in 2004-2005 by a working party of experts in the field and representatives from eight medical colleges, as well as the contributions of numerous specialist advisors, this module is a high quality educational tool.

Contents

'Medical Responses to Adults Who Have Experienced Sexual Assault' provides:

• a comprehensive look at the range of health outcomes experienced by adults who have been sexually assaulted
• scenarios though which doctors can become familiar with signs alerting them to the possibility that their patient has experienced sexual assault
• self-learning tasks which provide the opportunity to explore a range of responses to the disclosure of sexual assault
• a section on self-care for doctors and a list of contacts for referrals to sexual assault services, plus a list of further resources and additional reading in specialist areas

Please note, however, there is no external assessment component associated with the module.

Download sample pages

Module introduction ( 62 KB)

Table of Contents ( 35 KB)

Part 1 selection ( 71KB)

Introduction to Part 1 plus a sample Reading & Activity

Part 2 selection ( 300 KB)

Introduction to Part 2 plus Educational Objectives of the ten case studies.

List of Support Services ( 42 KB)

Contact list for sexual assault support services in Australia and New Zealand.

Please note: For Queensland support and referral services please call 1800 010 120 (24 hours, 7 days). Gold Coast Sexual Assault Support Service +61 7 5591 1164 / 2397 (business hours).

List of Forensic Examination Services ( 1.92 MB Large! )

Contacts for selected services responsible for providing forensic examinations to adult victims of sexaul assault in Australia and New Zealand.

Background

Medical Responses to Adults Who Have Experienced Sexual Assault was developed by the RANZCOG at the request of the Australian Health Ministers' Advisory Council (AHMAC) and on behalf of the Council of Presidents of Medical Colleges (CPMC).

The RANZCOG convened an expert working party consisting of experts in the field and representatives from those medical colleges who felt that they had a role to play in the development of this handbook / training module. Numerous specialist advisors have contributed throughout several draft stages.

Development

The RANZCOG-convened working party oversaw curriculum development, content and educational design. Participants in the working party were:

• Lyndall Boucher, Royal College of Pathologists Australia (RCPA)
• Dr Sheila Bryan, Australian College of Emergency Medicine (ACEM)
• Kerren Clark, Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG)
• Dr Deborah Colville, Royal Australian College of Surgeons (RACS)
• Marg D’Arcy, CASA House (Centre Against Sexual Assault) (replacing Rachael Green)
• Dr Sheila Knowlden, Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP)
• Dr Eleanor Long, Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG)
• Dr Michael O’Connor, Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG)
• Dr Sue Packer, Royal Australian College of Physicians (Division of Paediatrics)
• Professor Neil Paget, Royal Australian College of Physicians (RACP)
• Dr Carolyn Quadrio, Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP)
• Dr Alexandra Welborn, Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine (VIFM)
• Dr Lyndall Young, National Adult Sexual Assault Medical Committee (NASAMC)

Expert advisors included:

• Susan Moore, Coordinator—Sexual Assault Referral Centre, Darwin
• Dr Kathleen McNamee, Family Planning Victoria
• Rose Solomon, Elizabeth Hoffman House
• Nerida Sutherland, Aboriginal Family Violence Prevention and Legal Service
• Sheri Lawson, Project Worker—DAFSA, and Counsellor Advocate, CASA House
• Dr Sarah Lantz, Centre for Adolescent Health, University of Melbourne
• Professor Suzanne Garland, Royal Women’s Hospital, Melbourne
• Dr Carol Shand, Doctors for Sexual Assault Care, New Zealand
• Professor Peter Stone, National Women's Hospital, New Zealand
• Dr Ian Denham, Melbourne Sexual Health Centre

The managing editor and contributor was Liz Olle. Major contributors were Marg D’Arcy, Lyndall Young and Alexandra Welborn with Carolyn Quadrio, Sheila Knowlden, Sue Packer, Sheila Bryan, Eleanor Long and Kerren Clark.

To Order

Order form

Copies of 'Medical Responses to Adults Who Have Experienced Sexual Assault' are available from the RANZCOG for $AU55.00 (including GST*).

Download order form ( 36 KB)

Download brochure ( 137 KB) including order form

Send completed order form to:

Reception at College House
254-260 Albert Street
East Melbourne Vic 3002 Australia

* GST of 10 per cent is payable on items purchased in Australia. Overseas purchases are GST-exempt. For overseas purchasers the cost of the module is $50.

© RANZCOG