Study on RHY and Post-sexual Assault Care

Research on how often and why sexually assaulted RHY seek post-sexual assault care was recently published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Based on self-report survey data from 1,405 young people ages 18-26 who were homeless in seven cities across the U.S., the study found that only 29% of RHY experiencing sexual assault sought health care afterward. The most commonly reported reasons for not seeking care included reluctance to involve the legal system (44%), and not thinking care was important (35%); significant variations in the reasons youth reported not seeking care were found among different racial and ethnic groups, and among youth reporting past experiences of dating violence, survival sex and juvenile justice contact. Receiving care soon after sexual assault decreases risks of contracting HIV and becoming pregnant unintentionally.

Read the full study here: https://www.ajpmonline.org/article/S0749-3797(19)30445-3/fulltext