Document Detail


The medical and ethical aspects of photography in the sexual assault examination: why does it offend?
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  16571379     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
This paper reviews the literature in respect to the photo-colposcopic examination of anogenital injury in the sexually assaulted child, considered to be the 'gold standard' of examination, and how this compares with gross visualisation, still the standard procedure in adult examinations. It then examines the claim that, because the presence of injury does not provide a distinction between consensual and non-consensual intercourse in adults, photo-documentation is unnecessary medically and constitutes an invasive procedure which is ethically unacceptable. The paper questions whether the unwillingness of forensic physicians to extend photo-colposcopy to the examination of adult victims is related more to political and gender issues than to claims made on ethical and medical grounds, and concludes that any move to ban anogenital photography in adult forensic examinations (currently under consideration in the author's own jurisdiction) would possibly constitute an interference with independent clinical judgment and an incursion into the patient's right to evidence-based medicine.
Authors:
Patricia A W Brennan
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Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article; Review     Date:  2006-03-29
Journal Detail:
Title:  Journal of clinical forensic medicine     Volume:  13     ISSN:  1353-1131     ISO Abbreviation:  J Clin Forensic Med     Publication Date:  2006 May 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2006-04-20     Completed Date:  2006-10-19     Revised Date:  -    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  9434927     Medline TA:  J Clin Forensic Med     Country:  Scotland    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  194-202     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
Emergency Department, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Missenden Road, Camperdown, NSW 2050, Australia. patricia.brennan@sswahs.nsw.gov.au
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Adult
Attitude of Health Personnel
Australia
Child
Child Abuse, Sexual / diagnosis
Colposcopy / methods
Ethics, Medical
Female
Forensic Pathology / ethics*
Genitalia, Female / injuries*,  pathology
Genitalia, Male / injuries*,  pathology
Great Britain
Humans
Informed Consent / ethics
Male
Photography / methods
Physical Examination / methods
Rape / diagnosis*
Comments/Corrections
Comment In:
J Clin Forensic Med. 2006 May;13(4):160-1   [PMID:  16580245 ]

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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