Health News For Champlain
Wednesday, May 06, 2009
Renfrew Victoria Hospital
RVH Regional Assault Care Program wants to break the silence around sexual assault
May is sexual assault awareness month and the Renfrew Victoria Hospital Regional Assault Care Program is taking this opportunity to share some important information about this difficult topic.
Sexual assault is a violent crime that can take the form of a threat or forced sexual contact without consent. The majority of victims are women, and this is a violation of women’s rights that bears serious psychological and physical harm.
More than half of women who have been assaulted have also been physically injured during the attack. But immediate physical injury is not the only repercussion of assault. Sexual assault can lead to long-term health problems including chronic pain, stomach problems, acute anxiety, depression, post traumatic stress disorder, high blood pressure, headaches, and sexually transmitted diseases. The severe emotional harm may be more painful than the assault itself.
The effects of assault also have a financial impact on all of society through increased long-term health care costs, criminal justice and social services costs, and lost productivity.
According to Statistics Canada, 51% of all Canadian women have experienced at least one incident of sexual or physical violence. Six out of 10 victims who reported being sexually assaulted were under 17, and 80% of sexual assault survivors know their abusers.
“A sad statistic is that the majority of assaults are never reported,” comments Jennifer Valiquette, program manager of the Renfrew Victoria Hospital Regional Assault Care Program, which offers professional response and support on a county-wide basis.
Assault Care Program help is available 24 hours a day by calling 1-800-363-7222 or by visiting the emergency department of your local hospital. A team of trained registered nurses and doctors work through the program to provide confidential health care, as well as emotional support for women and men. Some of the care and treatment options available at the emergency department include physical examination and treatment of any injuries, preventative treatment of sexually transmitted infections including HIV (if seen within 72 hours of the assault), pregnancy prevention, emotional support, safety planning, and referral to community resources. Recording and/or physical evidence collection for police follow-up is done only when requested by the client. If the client is unsure, this evidence may be frozen to be available if required at a later date.
This month, sexual assault nurses will be leading a community awareness campaign, handing out literature promoting healthy relationships.
“We each have a role to play in modeling respectful behaviour,” comments Valiquette. “If we hear inappropriate remarks or see troubling behaviour, it is our duty to speak up and make it clear that sexual assault will not be tolerated.”
For more information please call the Renfrew Victoria Hospital Regional Assault Care Program at 613-432-4851, extension 818.