Medical Treatment for Sexual Assaults
Local Police
Dial 911 from any telephone on campus or site. You will reach the Emergency Dispatch Center. If you need an ambulance, ask that the ambulance be dispatched to the college for a health emergency. Please ensure that Public Safety is contacted after 911 has been contacted. Public Safety will have someone watch for the ambulance’s arrival and guide the crew to the location of emergency.
Immediate Medical Treatment
It is important to seek immediate and follow-up medical attention for several reasons:
- To assess and treat any physical injuries sustained.
- For the safety of the victim.
- To protect evidence which will assist with the law enforcement investigation and criminal prosecution.
- Male victims of sexual assault receive the same services as women.
1. Physical evidence should be gathered immediately, ideally within 24 hours. It may be collected later, but there is a risk that the quality and quantity of evidence may be diminished. It is imperative that any evidence be preserved including items of clothing, objects which may contain fingerprints, and pieces of hair or bodily fluid which may provide forensic information.
2. A special examination should be conducted as soon as possible following the assault. This examination is performed by an emergency room physician or a gynecologist. This examination will be used to assess your physical condition and to collect specimens for evidence that may be used in future proceedings. Even if you have not been physically injured beyond the assault itself, this special examination is recommended to maintain your legal options. Once the evidence is collected, it may be stored in case you wish to press criminal charges. You may request that a support person of your choice be present throughout the procedure.
3. In the Lehigh and Carbon County areas this special procedure is provided at many local emergency rooms. These hospital emergency departments follow national standards for victim care, rape exams, and evidence collection procedures:
Easton Hospital, Easton (610) 250-4000; Gnaden Huetten Memorial Hospital, Lehighton (610) 377-1300; Lehigh Valley Hospital, 17th and Chew, Allentown (610) 402-2273; Miners Memorial Medical Center, Coaldale (570) 645-2131; Palmerton Hospital, Palmerton (610) 826-3141; St. Luke’s Hospital, Bethlehem (484) 526-4000
Ordinarily the police department will be contacted by hospital personnel whenever they provide treatment for injuries resulting from a crime. If you seek treatment at a local hospital and police are contacted, it is still your option to proceed with criminal charges.
Non-Emergency Medical Procedures
It is still important to get medical attention even if you do not have evidence collected at the hospital. An exam in this case will include treatment of any physical problems and various lab tests for sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy. This non-emergency treatment can be arranged by contacting a local hospital in your area or:
Crime Victims Council of Lehigh Valley, Inc. (Lehigh County)
2132 S 12th St Suite 101, Allentown, PA 18103
Hours: 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., M-F, 610-437-6610 — 24 Hour Sexual Assault Hotline
Women in Crisis (Carbon County)
182 S. First Street, P.O. Box 155, Lehighton, PA 18235
Hours: 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., M-F, 1-800-424-5600—24 Hour Hotline
Sexual Assault Resource and Counseling Center of Schuylkill County
17 Westwood Center, Pottsville, Pa. 17901
Hours: Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.,
Office: 570-628-2965
Hotline: 570-628-2965
Emotional Support Counseling/Advocacy
PCAR – Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape: 1-888-772-7227; Crime Victims Council of Lehigh Valley, Inc.: 610-437-6611; Northampton County: 610-250-6313; 24-hour sexual assault hotline, 801 Hamilton Street, Suite 300, Allentown, PA 18101; Women in Crisis: 1-800-424-5600; Victims Response Center 2, 616 North Street, Jim Thorpe, Pa. 18279 Office: 570-325-9642; Hotline: 570-325-96411; Toll Free: 866-206-9050
Sexual Assault Resource and Counseling Center of Schuylkill County, 17 Westwood Centre, Pottsville, Pa. 17901, Office: 570-628-2965; Hotline: 570-628-2965
