Sexual Assault

What should I do after a sexual assault?

There are many options after sexual assault. You may choose to use any of the options below.

Emergency Services and Reporting to Police

• If you are in an emergency, call 911 immediately.
• If you want to make a police report you can call 911. The 911 operator will contact local law enforcement and send officers to take your report.
• Save all physical evidence, using a paper bag (not plastic). Even if you are unsure about whether you want to make a police report, you can still choose to have evidence collected. It is recommended that you do not shower, bathe, wash your hands, eat, drink, or brush your teeth before you have a medical examination for sexual assault. Save all the clothes you were wearing at the time of the assault in the paper (not plastic) bag.

Emergency Medical Care

After a sexual assault, a medical exam is important for your own personal health and well-being. MUSC provides emergency medical services, free of charge, within 120 hours (five days) after the sexual assault.

• This exam includes medications for pregnancy prevention and sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevention, and can also include DNA evidence collection (if you choose).
  
• Patients do not need to report to the police to receive an exam.
  
• Sexual assault medical forensic exams are performed free of charge by MUSC's team of nurses who are specifically trained to provide care to sexual assault survivors. Please note that there may be a cost associated with any medical care beyond a sexual assault medical forensic exam.

Visit the Emergency Services page for more information.

Call Tri-County S.P.E.A.K.S. for 24/7 crisis support.

Call 843-745-0144 at any time, both day and night, for free crisis support. Tri-County S.P.E.A.K.S. is our local sexual assault crisis center and can offer support and answer any questions you may have. If you choose to receive a sexual assault medical forensic exam, advocates from Tri-County S.P.E.A.K.S. can meet with you at MUSC's adult emergency department to provide support and answer questions.

Visit the Tri-County S.P.E.A.K.S. page for more information.

For help after sexual assault, Call Sexual Assault Services at MUSC

Call or text our coordinator for our services 843-860-5508. We offer care for people who have recently experienced sexual assault including:

• Case management
• Mental health services
• Assistance with scheduling medical appointments and STI testing

We also offer trauma therapy to people who have experienced sexual assault at any time, even if it was years ago or occurred when the person was a child.

Connect with more information, resources, and support.

For information about common reactions to sexual assault and tips with recovery, visit our page on common reactions after sexual assault.

 For more information about how you can support a loved one who has experienced sexual assault, visit our page on providing social support.

For resources for children who have experienced sexual assault, please visit: MUSC Children's Health Child Abuse team.

We want your feedback! If you used our services, other services in the community, and/or reported a sexual assault to law enforcement please consider taking this anonymous and optional survey to tell us about your experience. We will use the information to try to improve our community response to sexual assault.

More ways to contact us:

Sexual Assault Services
National Crime Victims Research & Treatment Center
67 President Street
Charleston, SC 29425

To contact Sexual Assault Services, call or text:
843-860-5508

To contact NCVC's main office, call:
843-792-8209