Medical Care

If you are in immediate danger, call 9-1-1 or go to your nearest Emergency Department.

Whether or not you decide to report your sexual assault, it is important to consider medical care for potential physical and emotional injuries.

You have 3 options for medical care at the Emergency Department after a sexual assault:

1st Option - Medical treatment to assess and care for physical and emotional injuries. To test for/provide prophylactic/preventative treatment for sexually transmitted and blood born illnesses (STBBI) and pregnancy.
2nd Option - To receive medical treatment (for physical and emotional injuries), have forensic evidence collected in a Sexual Assault Evidence Kit, and report your assault to the Police.
3rd Option - To receive medical treatment (for physical and emotional injuries) and have forensic evidence collected in a Sexual Assault Evidence Kit to be stored anonymously for one year while you decide if you would like to make a report to Police.

Medical Care Frequently Asked Questions

To be treated with respect.
To wait in a private room in the Emergency Department.
To be provided with confidentiality.
To have the processes of examination, treatment, and collection explained to you by a Registered Nurse or Physician.
To have the choice to report or not report (unless reporting is required for your protection or the protection of a child under PEI’s Child Protection Act and/or Adult Protection Act).
To be allowed a support person with you.
To be transported to another Emergency Department if the hospital you visited does not have the capacity to care for you at that moment (i.e. if your local Emergency department is closed, transportation can be arranged to take you to another department that can support your medical care.)

This program is designed for first responders (e.g. paramedics, nurses, doctors, counsellors, police) to provide health and support services to survivors.
Registered Nurses on PEI have EESAS training so they can better assist with medical care related to sexual violence.

A Sexual Assault Evidence Kit is a box that holds the swabs, bags, and containers used to collect and store evidence from your body.
Forensic evidence can be collected up to 72 hours after a sexual assault.
A Registered Nurse can conduct much of the exam except the pelvic exam which needs to be completed by a physician.
During the collection, you will be asked questions about what happened to you so that they know what evidence to collect. The kit can take a long time to complete and can feel intrusive at times. You can refuse any part of the kit at any time.
A completed kit can provide useful evidence if you decide to pursue criminal justice.
If you decide to have a kit completed, police are contacted to collect the kit after it is completed for processing (2nd option) or storage (3rd option).
You can still report to the police even if you decide not to have a kit completed.

Yes! You can bring a support person with you to the hospital.
Your support person should be cautioned to not add information or questions during the history and to remain at the head of the bed during the examination.

Beyond any immediate medical care, consider following up with a health care provider after your experience of sexual assault.
This is an opportunity to check in about medication you may be prescribed for Sexually Transmitted and Blood Born Illnesses (STBBIs), unwanted pregnancy, and injuries.
It is recommended to get continued care for HIV, other STBBIs, pregnancy, and complete a post sexual assault genital exam if there are injuries or concerns.
Follow up care could take the form of an appointment with your family Physician, or Nurse Practitioner, a visit to a walk-in clinic, a campus health centre or Sexual Health Options and Reproductive Services (SHORS.)