Journal of emergency nursing : JEN : official publication of the Emergency Department Nurses Association
-
Nurses who evaluate patients following sexual assault are often faced with the task of identifying genital injuries and providing legal testimony regarding the nature of the injuries. Following a 2000 Virginia State court decision, sexual assault nurse examiners have had to struggle to answer the questions, "Are the genital injuries consistent with the patient's history?" and "Are the genital injuries consistent with sexual assault?" ⋯ Currently, the presence or absence of genital injury should not be used to render an opinion regarding consent to sexual intercourse. Further research is necessary to determine if injury patterns can indeed distinguish consensual from nonconsensual sex.