FAQs

If you have experienced a sexual assault, consider contacting your campus or local community resources to accompany you to medical or legal appointments, talk with you about safety and reporting options, and help you connect with additional support resources. Woodroffe | Pembroke | Perth

Are there time frames that I should be aware following a sexual assault?
Can I use the on-campus medical services at Health Services?
Do I have to go to the hospital?
What should I know before going to the hospital?
How do I have evidence collected? What is a “rape” kit?
Does medical care/having evidence collected from me obligate me to report to the police?
I think I was drugged. Is testing part of the evidence collection process?


Are there time frames that I should be aware following a sexual assault?

The first few days after an assault can be a difficult time, and you may not want or be ready to make decisions. While this is a very natural and normal reaction, there are some time frames you should be aware of because the sooner you seek care, the greater your options will be.

1) Within 5 days (120 hours) of an assault:

  • Emergency contraception for pregnancy and preventative treatments for sexually transmitted infections (including HIV) are more effective.
  • Evidence collection is an option. You do not need to report to the police to have evidence collected but, if you do have evidence collected, you may have more options in the future.
  • Toxicology testing is available within the first 4 days (96 hours) after an assault if there are signs that drugs or alcohol may have facilitated the assault.

2) Anytime after 5 days or 120 hours of an assault:

  • Consider visiting your own primary healthcare provider or a health clinic for care.


Can I use the on-campus medical services at Health Services?

Treatment for most medical issues and follow-up care is available at Health Services. If you choose to use Health Services for STI testing and treatment, you can make an appointment. Your appointment will be given priority. Free pregnancy testing and emergency contraception are also available on-campus. Health Services is not equipped to perform forensic examinations or test for drugs; it is strongly recommended that survivors go to the hospital for these procedures.


Do I have to go to the hospital?

You are not required to seek medical attention. However, you may want immediate medical attention for medical issues that result from the assault. Medical attention is separate from the evidence collection process, and you are entitled to medical attention whether or not you decide to have evidence collected or report to the police. Evidence collection is also done at hospital emergency rooms. Even if you do not want to report the crime or consider prosecution now, documenting injuries and collecting physical evidence is important in case you change your mind. Forensic examinations, which are done at hospitals, can greatly aid in the success of a later investigation and possible prosecution. Medical care and evidence collection are available to any survivor, regardless of their gender or the gender of the perpetrator(s).


What should I know before going to the hospital?

If you wish to have evidence collected, it is important for survivors to avoid bathing, showering, eating or drinking, brushing your teeth, or going to the washroom. Obviously, these are all natural and often necessary things to do, so if you have to or already have, it is still possible to collect evidence. If you are still wearing the clothes you wore when the assault occurred, do not change. If you already have, put your clothes in a clean shopping bag, and carry them with you to the Emergency Room. Your clothes will become part of the evidence kit if you choose to have one done, so you should also bring comfortable clothes to go home in.


How do I have evidence collected? What is a “rape” kit?

Click here for information on evidence collection.


Does medical care/having evidence collected from me obligate me to report to the police?

You can receive medical care and have an evidence collection kit done without reporting to the police. (If you are under 18, over 60, or have a disability, it’s important for you to know that the hospital is required to report your assault to the appropriate protective services agency.) If you choose not to report to the police at the time that evidence is collected, you will be given an anonymous tracking number for your kit, and it will be stored for 6 months. You can also request the storage time for your kit be extended to prevent it from being discarded. If you choose to report to the police at the time that evidence is collected, you are permitting an investigation of the assault by the police department in the city or town where the assault took place.


I think I was drugged. Is testing part of the evidence collection process?

It is against the law to give a person a drug of any kind with the intention of having sexual contact with them. A blood and/or urine sample collected as part of the evidence collection kit is called the Toxicology Kit. Substances can remain in the blood stream for up to 4 days (96 hours) after they were ingested. Blood and urine samples in the kit will be tested for the presence of substances such as drugs and alcohol. There are some important things to know about toxicology testing:

  • Many substances leave the body more quickly than 96 hours, so a negative toxicology result does not mean that you were not drugged. It means that a particular chemical was not present at the time the sample was collected.
  • Toxicology testing is not specific to particular substances. Results will indicate the presence of prescription medications, over-the-counter medications, alcohol, and recreational drugs.