Social work
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Observational Study
Are sexual assault victims presenting to the emergency department in a timely manner?
Social workers regularly assist sexual assault victims and would benefit from a greater understanding of causes for delayed presentation to seek medical care. Delays in presentation of sexual assault victims affect the legal value of collected evidence. The authors of this study sought to characterize the nature and frequency of delayed presentation among victims. ⋯ Of the victims who documented whether they knew the perpetrator, 63 percent knew the perpetrator, with 58 percent of these presenting delayed. Knowing the perpetrator was significantly associated with delayed presentation. Age, ethnicity, and gender were not associated with delayed presentation.