How to Complete a Rape Kit After a Sexual Assault

A rape kit or sexual assault kit is a collection of items used by medical personnel to collect evidence following a sexual assault. The kit generally includes containers for fluid and tissue samples, as well as other forms of storage for physical evidence collected for use in criminal proceedings. A rape kit is generally made available at the emergency room of any hospital.

Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• Hospital
• Computer with Internet access
• Police officer

Report Your Sexual Assault

1. Seek medical attention at your local hospital's emergency room. All emergency rooms are equipped with rape or sexual assault kits.
2. Do not bathe, shower or change your clothes before visiting the hospital.
3. Expect to receive a routine blood test to check for infection or sexually transmitted diseases and a physical examination to determine the extent of your injuries.
4. A nurse will collect fluid samples such as urine and may examine you for evidence of semen in order to complete the rape kit. This will involve an examination and swabbing of your mouth as well as your vaginal and anal areas.
5. The nurse may collect hair samples from your pubic area to complete the rape kit. He or she may also perform a fingernail scraping to collect any tissue that may be present after your assault.
6. Unless you're allergic, take any preventive medication the hospital may offer after a sexual assault. This may include tetanus shots or emergency contraception.
7. Speak with a police officer to complete your report after a sexual assault. The evidence gathered in the rape kit will be turned over to the officer.
8. Visit the RAINN Web site to find the rape crisis center nearest you (see Resources below).

Tips & Warnings

• It is your right to refuse to participate in any part of the evidence collection process, regardless of what stage the procedure is in.
• According to researcher Mary Koss, nearly 1 in 4 women have been the victim of rape or attempted rape. Of these women, only about 5 percent reported their attack to the police. If you have been the victim of rape or sexual assault, call the RAINN hotline at (800) 656-HOPE.