Medical Options for Sexual Assault

Treatment

If you have injuries related to an assault, and want treatment but no evidence collection, please go to the doctor. Keep in mind that if you are under the age of 18 or have physical injuries, doctors may be required to report the assault to police. If you want, you can ask about reporting requirements before receiving treatment. OVA or Moving to End Sexual Assault (MESA) can help you with this. You deserve to have treatment and to heal. If you need immediate emergency treatment Boulder Community hospital is the closest hospital to CU.

If you do not want or feel you need an emergency room visit, but are worried about sexually transmitted infections or pregnancy, emergency contraception and/or STI treatment is available if you choose at The Women’s Clinic at Wardenburg Student Health Center.  Another community option is the Boulder Valley Women’s Health Clinic. Despite the name, Boulder Valley Women's Health Clinic does serve people of all genders and has a sliding fee scale. You can also visit Planned Parenthood.

Medical evidence collection

You can learn more about evidence collection by contacting OVA, MESA, or by clicking here.  Advocates are available to meet you at the hospital to offer support and information. You can have a medical forensic exam done even if you do not know whether or not you want to report this to the police. If you think there is a possibility that you will decide to report this to the police at a later date, it is best to get the exam done as early as possible.

Evidence collection is done at Boulder Community Hospital by trained Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANE). Even though it's common to want to bathe after sexual assault, please consider not if you want to have evidence collected, as some evidence might be lost. If you have bathed, it is still possible to collect evidence.

Once the exam is completed the police will be called to collect the evidence. It is your choice if you would like to speak with the police. There are two options for how the evidence collected in stored 1) anonymously in which the survivors name is not included or 2)  the survivors name is included as part of the evidence. This is your choice. 

The exam itself will be paid for, either by the police department to whom you report, or by the state of Colorado if you decide against reporting to law enforcement. Anything not included in the exam itself (Plan B if you choose, antibiotics, ER fees, etc.), will be your financial responsibility. There may be help available to cover costs not paid by insurance.  OVA can help you learn about these options.  Also click here for information on hospital billing or here for Victim's Compensation.

Transportation: If you would like to get a medical forensic exam without consultation you can call 911 directly and tell the dispatcher that you want to report a sexual assault and would like to preserve evidence. The police can transport you to see a SANE nurse and a MESA advocate may be called to meet you at the hospital to provide information on resources and support. If you do not want to contact the police you can go directly to Boulder Community Hospital  and ask to see a SANE nurse. If you do not have transportation to the hospital students can go to Wardenburg and ask for a travel voucher. You can also take the Stampede or the Jump bus. Please click here for the most recent bus schedules and directions from your location to Boulder Community Hospital Foothills Campus. Other transportation options to get to the hospital are taxi cab (303-777-7777) and or a ride with a friend/support person.

Sometimes there is a wait at the hospital; please consider bringing a change of clothes, a friend, or whatever you need to be comfortable.