Predictors of Medical Examinations Following Child and Adolescent Rapes in a National Sample of Women

• Published in: Child maltreatment 2001-08, Vol.6 (3), p.250-259
• Main Authors: Hanson, Rochelle F., Davis, Joanne L., Resnick, Heidi S., Saunders, Benjamin E., Kilpatrick, Dean G., Holmes, Melisa, Best, Connie L.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adolescents; Adult; Adults; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Child Abuse, Sexual - legislation & jurisprudence; Child Abuse, Sexual - psychology; Child Abuse, Sexual - statistics & numerical data; Child sexual abuse; Children & youth; Cross-Sectional Studies; Expert Testimony - legislation & jurisprudence; Female; Girls; Humans; Longitudinal Studies; Medical examinations; Medical sciences; Physical Examination - psychology; Physical Examination - statistics & numerical data; Physical examinations; Predictors; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Rape; Rape - legislation & jurisprudence; Rape - psychology; Rape - statistics & numerical data; Referral and Consultation - legislation & jurisprudence; Referral and Consultation - statistics & numerical data; Substance-Related Disorders - epidemiology; Substance-Related Disorders - psychology; Teenagers; United States - epidemiology; USA; Victimology; Victims; Women
• ISSN: 1077-5595; 1552-6119
• DOI: 10.1177/1077559501006003006

Childhood rape occurs frequently in our society and is associated with adverse consequences. Despite the severity of these outcomes, there appear to be many obstacles for children to receive postrape medical care. To date, it is unclear what proportion of childhood rape victims receive postrape medical examinations or what factors predict receipt of this medical care. This study investigated the factors predicting immediate medical care for women who were raped during childhood. Data for the study were obtained from the final wave of the 2-year, longitudinal National Women's Study. Results indicated that the majority of women did not receive medical care following their childhood rape. Although women raped as adolescents were more likely to receive a postrape exam, logistic regression analyses indicated that rape characteristics (e.g., reporting the assault, concerns about sexually transmitted diseases [STDs]) mediated the relationship between age of victimization and receipt of medical care. Implications of these findings are discussed.