Abstract
Sanitary pads composed of upper layers and a lower core with superabsorbent polymers (SAPs) can provide critical evidence of a sexual assault when trapping semen from the victim's private parts. Currently, there is no established procedure for extracting the fluid other than elution with water of the SAPs-free upper layers. Also, there is no study of efficiency regarding the recapture of semen from the different layers, and a real quantitative assessment is necessary in this respect. Semen was detected up to 1:25000 dilutions (d) for all substrates in the upper layers with maximum yields of 8%. Sperm and DNA yields varied among pad types and along the dilution series. Nylon and PETE membranes installed in NAO®Baskets allowed the extraction of semen-embedded sodium polyacrylate hydrogels, as a simulation of the pads’ lower core. Incubations with different treatments were considered to enhance semen extraction.
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