Medical evaluation of young sexual abuse victims: a view entering the 1990s.

This paper reviews current knowledge of medical evaluations of young victims of alleged sexual abuse. The several purposes and the value of these examinations are discussed. The evaluation of physical findings is reviewed with emphasis on recent progress in improving the reliability and validity of such examinations. The complexities of the identification and interpretation of sexually transmitted diseases are reviewed. Areas in which additional progress is expected in the 1990s are identified.