Improving the forensic genital examination for trans and gender diverse sexual assault complainants: three case reports.

Abstract

Trans and gender diverse people experience high rates of sexual violence and significant barriers to healthcare, including post-sexual assault healthcare. These barriers could lead to delays in presentations to sexual assault services and a reluctance to having forensic examinations, thereby impacting genital injury assessment and evidence collection. It is therefore important that clinicians working in sexual assault services understand how to best undertake forensic genital examinations, collect forensic genital specimens, and identify and document genital injuries in this population. This case report discusses three trans and gender diverse complainants of sexual assault seen at the Sexual Assault Resource Centre in Western Australia. These cases, along with an accompanying review of the literature, have been used to change the centre's practice towards this community to improve forensic genital examinations. This has included creating specific trans and gender diverse medical and forensic notes, improving clinician knowledge around trans and gender diverse genital examinations and genital injury profiles, creating an inclusive physical environment, improving trans and gender diverse patient knowledge around sexual assault services, and providing options for genital specimen collection.