Veronica Ades

Sexual and Gender-Based Violence

This book is an accessible guide to caring for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV). Sexual violence is broadly defined in order to include sexual assault, but also often forgotten subjects such as female genital cutting, sex trafficking, and military sexual violence. The average practitioner, gynecologist or otherwise, will undoubtedly encounter a victim of some sexual violence during their time in practice and this guide is designed to answer all questions on how to approach, treat, and understand a survivor of sexual violence. Written by a multidisciplinary team of medical, psychological, and legal experts, the book is organized into four sections. The first section begins with a scholarly analysis of trauma and how to discuss that trauma with patients. The second section covers types of violence and populations at risk, including intimate partner violence, sex trafficking, and LGBTQ considerations. The third section provides critical focuson the examination procedure, providing strategies for speaking to survivors and conducting a sensitive medical examination. Within each of these chapters, the reader will find experts sharing their tips, best practices, and understandings of exactly how trauma affects care. The final section covers medicolegal legal issues, providing a basic introduction to general legal processes regarding sexual violence matters in the US in order to serve as a resource for any practitioner presented with legal questions by a patient. This book gives a comprehensive overview of clinical care for survivors of SGBV. The clinical focus of this book goes beyond emergency room and crisis intervention protocol described in other books and makes it an ideal guide for all general health practitioners treating this population.