L O Eckert1, N Sugar, D Fine. 1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Washington, Seattle, USA.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: This study was undertaken to determine whether physician gender or level of experience is associated with the prevalence of trauma documented in victims after sexual assault. STUDY DESIGN: All female patients 15 years or older reporting to an urban hospital with a complaint of sexual assault between January 1997 and September 1999 underwent a standardized history and physical examination by a second- or third-year resident in obstetrics and gynecology. Data were abstracted and verified. A chi(2) or Fisher exact test was used for categoric analysis. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of genital trauma was 21% in the 662 patients available for analysis. The prevalence of genital trauma documented by second- and third-year residents was 50 of 191 patients (26.2%) and 90 of 471 patients (19.1%), respectively (P=.04), despite similar assault characteristics between the 2 groups. The prevalence of genital trauma documented by male examiners (105/499 [21.0%]) and female examiners (35/160 [21.9%]) did not differ (P=.8). All examiners documented a similar prevalence of body trauma (52%). CONCLUSION: This study supports the hypothesis that the examiner's experience level may influence the prevalence of genital trauma documented after a sexual assault. Genital trauma documented was not associated with examiner gender in this study.
OBJECTIVE: This study was undertaken to determine whether physician gender or level of experience is associated with the prevalence of trauma documented in victims after sexual assault. STUDY DESIGN: All female patients 15 years or older reporting to an urban hospital with a complaint of sexual assault between January 1997 and September 1999 underwent a standardized history and physical examination by a second- or third-year resident in obstetrics and gynecology. Data were abstracted and verified. A chi(2) or Fisher exact test was used for categoric analysis. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of genital trauma was 21% in the 662 patients available for analysis. The prevalence of genital trauma documented by second- and third-year residents was 50 of 191 patients (26.2%) and 90 of 471 patients (19.1%), respectively (P=.04), despite similar assault characteristics between the 2 groups. The prevalence of genital trauma documented by male examiners (105/499 [21.0%]) and female examiners (35/160 [21.9%]) did not differ (P=.8). All examiners documented a similar prevalence of body trauma (52%). CONCLUSION: This study supports the hypothesis that the examiner's experience level may influence the prevalence of genital trauma documented after a sexual assault. Genital trauma documented was not associated with examiner gender in this study.