SANE legislation and lessons learned. Sexual Assault Nurse examiner

Responding to sexual assault victims' medical and emotional needs: a national study of the services provided by SANE programs

We measured the consistency with which a national random sample of 110 Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) programs provided 17 services to sexual assault victims. SANE programs consistently offered forensic evidence collection, sexually transmitted infection (STI) prophylaxis, information on HIV, information on pregnancy risk, and referrals to community resources. Reasons programs did not routinely offer particular services (e.g., STI cultures, HIV testing/prophylaxis, emergency contraception (EC)) included financial constraints, difficulties balancing medical care with legal prosecution, and affiliations with Catholic hospitals.

The effectiveness of sexual assault nurse examiner (SANE) programs: a review of psychological, medical, legal, and community outcomes

In sexual assault nurse examiner (SANE) programs, specially trained forensic nurses provide 24-hour-a-day, first-response medical care and crisis intervention to rape survivors in either hospitals or clinic settings. This article reviews the empirical literature regarding the effectiveness of SANE programs in five domains:(a) promoting the psychological recovery of survivors, (b) providing comprehensive and consistent post-rape medical care (e.g., emergency contraception, sexually transmitted disease [STD] prophylaxis), (c) documenting the forensic evidence of the crime completely and accurately, (d) improving the prosecution of sexual assault cases by providing better forensics and expert testimony, and (e) creating community change by bringing multiple service providers together to provide comprehensive care to rape survivors. Preliminary evidence suggests that SANE programs are effective in all domains, but such conclusions are tentative because most published studies have not included adequate methodological controls to rigorously test the effectiveness of SANE programs. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.

Organizational characteristics of Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner programs: results from the national survey project

A random sample of representatives from Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) programs throughout the United States were contacted to participate in in-depth telephone interviews about program operations and services for sexual assault patients. Programs that had been in operation 5 years or less at the time of this study are compared to older programs to examine trends.