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Sexual Assault

What to do if you are sexually assaulted: Important and Time Sensitive Information

1. Get to a safe place.
2. If you want evidence collected do not bathe, shower, brush your teeth or go to the bathroom. This is important for preserving evidence.
3. Do not change your clothes (if you already have, put your clothes in a clean paper bag such as a grocery store bag and bring them with you to the emergency room).
4. Go to the local hospital emergency room. This must be done within 5 days of the assault. Some city hospitals are designated as a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) Centre. Ask if this service is available near you.
5. If you suspect you were given any type of drug you should be tested ideally within 24 hours of ingestion.
6. If you want to have a pregnancy prophylaxis (preventer medication), you must begin the medication within 72 hours.
7. If you are going to take a HIV prophylaxis (preventer medication), you must begin within 36 hours.
8. If you want evidence collected you must go to the emergency room within 5 days.
9. If you think you want to make a police report, the sooner you report the better.
10. If you make a police report or file a restraining order within 5 days you can request for victim compensation to cover medical costs. (Note: it is a good idea to request this claim even though you may not feel you need it now. By having the claim, you can be assured that unforeseen expenses will be reimbursable).
11. Get support. No matter what decisions you make, you have done the best you can. You deserve to have all resources available to you.
12. When you go to the hospital, remember that you have a right to privacy. If you have concerns about the exam being billed on you insurance, or your parents' insurance, you can address this at the hospital. You may want to consider how and if you will answer some of the questions you will be asked (i.e. consensual sex in the same time frame as the assault, counselling history). If you have specific concerns about any questions that you may be asked, please ask for the hospital to contact a rape crisis advocate for you.

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Resources on this website have been provided by Lionel Hartley, PhD as a free community service. Information has been gleaned from a variety of sources and may be copied provided this website is cited as the source.

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