What You Need to Know About - SART Exams
If you are a fan of crime TV shows or have watched a movie where someone is sexually assaulted, odds are you have heard the term “rape kit” thrown around. This “rape kit” generally is referring to the materials used in a Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) exam (the exam may also be known as a Sexual Assault Forensic Exam or S.A.F.E). The items in a so called “rape kit” generally these items include:
- Bags and paper sheets for evidence collection
- Materials to take and store blood samples
- Evidence collection swabs
- Envelopes / instructions regarding the collection and storing of evidence
- A comb
- Barcodes to track the kit within state databases
Aside from the collection of evidence, a SART exam provides important post-assault medical treatment for survivors. This can include dressings for wounds, strangulation exams, and important sexually transmitted infection after care procedures/instructions among other things. Additionally, evidence samples are collected during a head-to-toe examination with a specially trained, trauma informed, medical professional. As we describe the lengthy process of sexual assault exams, it is important to note these exams are done free of charge through the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).
SART exams are an important factor in the conviction of perpetrators of sexual assault. Though they are not required in cases of sexual assault, they can be a powerful tool when available. That being said, the decision to report their assault to authorities is completely up to the survivor (unless they are a minor). Many states do have mandatory time in which they are required to hold evidence if a survivor changes their decision to report at a later time. If you have been sexually assaulted, you can call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at (800) 656-4673 to locate an exam location.
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