Point for Practice
Numerous myths reinforce cultural attitudes toward reporting SV. One myth suggests that physical violence, and thus injuries, are inevitable accompaniments to rape. If the victim does not react physically, it might be argued that it was not really rape, or without physical trauma, one might be less inclined to believe that a rape occurred.
Physicians and healthcare professionals involved in the care and support of SV survivors must explicitly reassure them that the lack of anogenital injury evidence does not diminish the credibility of their account.
This article was translated from Univadis Italy, which is part of the Medscape Professional Network. A version of this article appeared on Medscape.com.