Evidence of Injury Following Sexual Assault: A Research Proposal

The prosecution of rape in the United States often relies on the evidence of genital injury. However, because rape is a crime of lack of consent, evidence should only be used to corroborate a storyline rather than to prove or disprove consent. The objective of this incidence density case-control study examining participants after consensual intercourse as well as victims of rape is to prove that both groups have an equally low prevalence on genital injury. Participants will include 300 victims on non-consensual sexual intercourse and 300 participants of consensual sexual intercourse interviewed and examined for genital injury using macrovisualization, speculum, colposcopy, and toluidine blue dye by Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners. Study participants must by over the age of 18 but premenopausal, present with absence of menses or pregnancy, and have participated in penile-vaginal intercourse within 72 hours of examination. Main outcomes are proportion and odds ratio of injury among both groups