Sexual Health and Post-Sexual Assault Services 

As outlined in the Criminal Code, sexual assault is any form of non-consensual contact.

• Consent must be given freely. It is not consent if there are threats, fraud, manipulation, or coercion.

• Consent must be continuous and can be withdrawn anytime. This can be with words or by actions, including body language.

• Consent to one form of sexual contact does not mean consent to all forms of sexual contact.

• Consent cannot be legally given if the person is intoxicated, drugged, unconscious, or asleep. This is also true even if the perpetrator is also intoxicated or under the influence.

• Consent cannot be given where the perpetrator induces the victim to engage in sexual activity by abusing a position of trust, power, or authority.

It is highly recommended to get a physical exam done (even without doing a forensic exam or reporting) from either your primary care provider or at the Emergency Department to ensure that there are no underlying or immediate physical injuries that need to be addressed.

For example:

• Bleeding/internal injuries

• Concussion/head trauma

• Strangulation

• Other injuries (cuts, broken bones, etc)

Other components of follow-up care include:

• STI testing

• Emergency contraception

• Counselling and long-term mental health support

• Creating a safety plan

ALL responses to sexual assault are adaptive attempts to survive this traumatic experience, both physically and emotionally.

Some of these responses can include:

• Shock, numbness, dissociation, or calmness

• Confusion or memory gaps

• Guilt and shame

All of these, even if not included in this list, are ways of coping.

Impacts on memory:

Trauma can change how memories are stored and recalled. Survivors may:

• Remember everything vividly

• Recall only fragments or certain moments

• Remember events out of order

• Experience flashbacks triggered by sounds, scents, or sensations

• Anxiety or disbelief

• Anger, fear, or emotional withdrawal

• Physical symptoms such as pain, nausea, sleep disturbances

These variations are normal trauma responses, not signs of inaccuracy. Survivors may also experience nightmares, intrusive memories, sleep or appetite changes, depression, withdrawal, or difficulty trusting others.

During sexual assault, it is common for the body to respond in ways that feel confusing or distressing. Our bodies are wired with automatic physiological reflexes that can occur with certain forms of stimulation, even when the experience is unwanted or frightening. These reflexes are controlled by the autonomic nervous system, not conscious choice.

For example, the body may experience:

• Increased heart rate or breathing

• Genital lubrication or erection

• Muscular tension or reflexive movements

These responses do not mean a person wanted, enjoyed, or consented to what happened. They are automatic bodily reactions, similar to a knee-jerk reflex or a startle response, and are the body’s way of protecting itself from harm or processing intense stimulation.

Many survivors feel confused, ashamed, or guilty about these responses, but it is important to understand: The body’s automatic reaction does not reflect your choice, consent, or feelings.

Options:

Third-Party Reporting

• Allows survivors 19+ to report anonymously through a community-based agency

• Still connects survivors with supports and resources

• Provides police with information about people who are committing acts of sexual violence in communities

• *No direct contact with the police

(EVA BC, n.d.)

Reporting Directly to Police/RCMP

• There is no time limit to reporting an assault; provides more time for choice

• Contact your local police or RCMP station

• You may choose to make a report primarily for information purposes only

• Option to be connected with community-based victim services for further supports

• What can you expect:

– You will be asked to share what happened (either written or recorded statement)

– Other details including who was involved, where it happened, if there were witnesses

– You don’t need to remember everything perfectly*** trauma can affect memory; you may remember details after the initial report, which you can share later

– They may collect evidence, such as clothing or injury photos, speak with witnesses, and conduct an investigation if you choose to proceed

– They will offer a Sexual Assault Evidence Kit to be done at a hospital or health centre (within 7 days of the assault for evidence to be obtained) ***Optional

– If you choose to proceed with pressing charges, and charges are laid, the case may go to court, in which additional supports are available through this process

(RCMP, 2025)

Not Reporting

• Recommended to seek supports without police involvement, including seeking medical attention and/or mental health supports

Talking is an important part of the recovery process - it can start with disclosure.

It is never easy to tell someone you have been sexually assaulted. Many survivors struggle to disclose what happened for a variety of reasons — all of which are completely valid.

Survivors may:

• Feel embarrassed, ashamed, or humiliated — especially if the assault involved someone they trusted or if drugs or alcohol were present.

• Fear not being believed or being blamed, particularly if this has happened before or if they’ve seen similar reactions in media.

• Feel confused about whether what happened “counts” as sexual assault.

• Worry for their safety or the safety of others if threats were made.

• Feel conflicted about reporting if the perpetrator is someone they know or part of a small or close community.

• Fear judgment or inaction from police, healthcare providers, or the justice system.

• Want to move on quickly by avoiding discussion or reminders.

• Feel unsure where to go, who to trust, or how to process what happened.

These feelings are deeply vulnerable, but they are not uncommon. Sexual assault can make survivors feel powerless or disconnected from control over their lives.

Our society often avoids open conversations about sex and consent, which can create shame and isolation after an assault. While sexual assault is rooted in power and control, it involves acts society associates with sex — a topic many are taught to feel ashamed of.

Many organizations in our communities are working to change this narrative by building trauma-informed, safe spaces where survivors are met with compassion and equity. This is not an individual problem — it is a societal issue that demands collective understanding and change.

When someone you know experiences sexual assault, it’s natural to feel unsure of what to say or how to help.

Just by showing up, you’re already making a difference. The most important thing you can do is believe them, listen without judgment, and remind them they have options.

Remember that the survivor is telling you because they see you as a safe and trustworthy person. You have an opportunity to empower the survivor and assist them in their path forward and in accessing additional supports.

Some common things to avoid when receiving a disclosure:

• A judgemental, shocked, or overreactive initial response

• Disbelief, minimizing, or questioning the “truth” of a survivor’s story or reactions – especially if they appear to be very calm, or don’t want to report to the RCMP

• Asking unnecessary details, focusing on the behaviour, appearance, and/or location of the survivor at the time of the assault

• Focusing on your own emotional reaction (e.g., horror, sadness, anger, recalling a similar experience you may have had)

• Questioning why a survivor did not act in the ways society expects an SA survivor to react (e.g., fighting back, reporting to the police, discontinuing contact with the perpetrator after the assault)

Most importantly, it’s about:

• Listening

• Believing

• Empowering

(blueknot, n.d.)

What to Expect

If it has been seven days or less since the assault, a forensic exam may be completed. This is an examination that is completed in the emergency department by a specially trained SAFE examiner, or with support of an expert examiner by telehealth. The examiner will explain every step of the exam and you decide which parts of the exam to have completed.

Reporting to the police is up to you. The examiner can support you to report to the police.

If you are not ready to report to police, an examiner can explain your options to you, which may involve transfer to a site that can collect and store evidence in case you change your mind about reporting, or providing medical care in the ED.

Support people of your choosing are welcome to stay with you during your hospital visit. This may include Indigenous Patient Navigators, community support services, or a person of your choosing. It is up to you if they are in the room for part or all of your hospital visit. Hospital staff can offer options and contact support people for you.

*You will be asked for consent at each step of the exam, meaning you are able to stop at any time. If you change your mind, or if it becomes overwhelming to you, your choice will be supported and validated.

Important points:

• A forensic examination is completely your choice, even if you present to receive only medical care, you do not have to do an evidence collection kit

• Evidence collection can only be done within 7 days of the assault; this is to ensure the evidence that is collected has not been lost through showering, eating, etc.

Medical Care

Your examiner may have given you a piece of paper to remind you what treatments, including mediations, you were given during your examination. This will include any recommended follow up care or testing.

We advise testing for syphilis and HIV one month and three months after your exam. Testing is free and available at any Interior Health laboratory without seeing a doctor or providing a lab requisition. We have a webpage with more information on getting tested. More information about getting tested is available on our webpage.

If you report to the police

This process can be lengthy and you may not receive many updates while the investigation is underway. You will have access to a victim service worker through the RCMP who can support you with this process.

You can apply to the Crime Victim Assistance Program (CVAP) for support with the costs associated with your recovery.

If you store evidence

You can report to police at any time

• Your evidence will remain secured at the hospital for 365 days

• After one year, they will be destroyed, you will not be contacted
  

If you choose the option to store your forensic evidence, it will remain onsite for 365 days from the date of your examination. At that time, the evidence is destroyed maintaining confidentiality. You will not be contacted by the program before the evidence is destroyed. The written report of your examination is stored indefinitely. You can report to the police at any time.

How to report to police after storing evidence

• Report to your local police or police in the area where the assault happened

• The police will ask you to sign a consent that allows them to pick up the evidence from the hospital

• You do not need to return to the hospital to release the evidence

• If you remember your case number from the hospital, you can share that with police, but this is not required

(Interior Health, n.d.).