If you have been raped you run the risk of having a Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI); other types of sexual assaults can also cause different types of health problems, which if not treated correctly can be with you for a long time. Women who have been raped can also run the risk of falling pregnant as a result. It is important that you look after yourself and seek medical help as soon as possible.
To keep your options open about whether you want to report the sexual assault to the police, we suggest you do not shower and do not change your clothing. This is to allow for the best chance for evidence to be collected.
We suggest you contact the Forensic and Medical Assault Sexual Clinic (FAMSAC) currently based at the Canberra Hospital. They can be accessed at any time, and are available for people who have been victims of sexual assault, even weeks after the assault has occurred.
FAMSAC is staffed with doctors and nurses who are trained specifically to work with victims of sexual assault. They are also trained in the collection of forensic evidence which will help in the prosecution of the perpetrator.
It is important to know that by accessing this service you do not have to report the sexual assault to police.
FAMSAC staff's main focus is your health and well being. They are the most knowledgeable about how sexual assault can impact a person and their goal is to focus on helping you become physically healthy again. FAMSAC staff are bound by strict confidentiality, and if the patient is over the age of 18, they are not obligated to pass your details on to police. FAMSAC records are kept separately from any other medical record. Other doctors and nurses in the The Canberra Hospital cannot access them without your permission and will not know you have attended FAMSAC unless you advise them.
Contact details: 02 6244 2184 (Monday to Friday 9am - 5pm) or 02 6244 2222 (After Hours)
Location: FAMSAC is located in the Sexual Health Clinic of The Canberra Hospital, which is found behind the National Capital Private Hospital.
