Getting your child medically examined:
If a violent incident like rape has happened to your child, it is important to get her medically examined.
What you can expect during the exam:
Just before the exam, a trained medical expert like a doctor, counselor or nurse, maybe even a social worker will want to talk to your child and ask her about what transpired. This dialogue, between the child and the expert is important, as it could shape the kind of medical treatment that will be necessary. Talking to trained personnel will help the child get free of some of the trauma associated with the incident, and could go a long way in helping her feel calm and secure again.
The medical professional might talk to the child about the exam, what it entails, and arrange for parental consent. Most medical examinations for rape cases usually involve the following:
If your child has not yet reached the age of puberty:
-
She may be tested for sexually transmitted diseases like HIV/AIDS, that could involve the taking of blood or saliva samples. Although the instance of having an STD is traumatic for both you and the child, the quicker your doctor finds out about it the better it can be treated.
-
An external examination will be performed on your child to check for any injury that could have occurred.
-
If a rape drug has been administered, the doctor should check for it too.
-
Pictures of injuries could be taken for future uses.
-
Samples of hair, nails, skin or fluids of the person committing the crime could be taken from your child’s body.
Even if your child does not get examined immediately, she can always get a checkup done later. Always remember that it is important to have a medical examination done immediately after the crime has been committed, or as soon as you come to know about it. It has been seen that doctors have been able to successfully gather evidence even after many days have elapsed since the crime has been committed.
So never ever shirk from taking your child to the doctor and getting her examined- it could save her life. What is important at this juncture is to ensure that your child moves towards getting medically, emotionally and psychologically fit to face life again.
Previous