Tips for Victim/Survivors

If you have been assaulted or are having continued violence or exploitation in your life, our team is here for you. We support people who have experienced sexual assault, human trafficking or sexual exploitation, intimate partner violence, and child sexual abuse with trauma-informed care.

We offer medical-forensic exams performed by a specialized nurse. We collect, save, and document all evidence along with injuries and pain that you have. You have the right to decline or accept any part of the exam at any time.

We also give you space to talk about what happened to you and make sure your body is okay without collecting evidence if that is your choice. We help you decide if you are at risk for sexually transmitted infections and pregnancy. We offer medicines to lower these risks as needed. We also give you resources for follow-up care. This includes medical care, support services, shelter, and protective orders.

If you have been assaulted and are thinking about coming in for an exam, these are some steps to take to prevent the loss of evidence:

• Do not eat or drink if there was oral contact during the assault. But if you did, evidence may still be collected and other parts of the exam may be useful to you, too.
• Do not take a bath or shower. But if you did shower or bathe, it’s okay. Evidence can still be collected.
• Bring in the clothing you had on at the time of the assault and right after the assault.

Choosing to be seen by our program is fully up to you. You may be feeling a wide variety of emotions. Anger, guilt, shame, numbness, and helplessness are common feelings. There is no “right” or “normal” way to feel. You have experienced a traumatic event and your body and your brain are working to protect you. Everyone’s reaction can be different and that’s okay.

You are welcome to bring a support person to your exam. After you leave the hospital, you may feel overwhelmed or have questions. Our team can be reached at 612-873-5832, select option 2.

View our advocates for victims and survivors of violence video.