Resolved question:
Hello, I am a male victim of a rape. I was 11 years old at the time and experienced some minor tearing of the anus. Now, 15 years later, they have detained a suspect and are trying to further build a case. The detective wants me to do a medical examination to see if there are any residual effects of the rape. Is it worth my time to go through this process, as its will obviously be somewhat traumatizing to me? Could they find residual effects 15 years later? Any information on this would be helpful.
Thanks so much...I know this is a sensitive one.
Submitted:
4 Days
Category:
Internal Medicine Specialist
Hello,
Thank you for choosing DoctorSpring .I will be glad to help you. Our team Dermatologist has directed this consult to me with her inputs.
I am very sorry to hear what you must have gone through.I truly appreciate you for your courage and self belief to have come a long way in life after such a traumatizing incident. Regarding the residual effects of rape after 15 years since the incident; it probably is a very long time to find any residual effects unless the physical trauma was very grievous. This physical examination most likely will procedural. So the choice is again personal - yours. From a medical stand point of view it is nothing more complicated than an annual physical.
The no nonsense way would be to just go for it, and get it done with. You can just take it in a light sense and be 'cool' with it.
There may be a psychological stress of going through it but at the same time do you feel a stronger need of justice for what has happened? Either ways has its pro's and con's. You as a victim can be the only one to decide which direction appeals to you more strongly.
Hope this helps
Feel free to ask followup questions.
Thank you.
The tear was pretty minor. It did draw a little blood. Is this natural? And do you think if that was the case, a scar would be physical?
Thanks so much for your support.
Hello,
If the trauma was minor then the scar would also have been small. Or more likely it would have healed without any scar. The long time gap will make it difficult to come to a conclusion anyway. But there may be 1-5% chance the examination might be useful (just a wild guess as I have not done a direct physical examination). ( Other than scan a dilated anal canal is also suggestive)
And may be the examination team is after that 1-5% chance. So again your call.
Hope this helps
Feel free to ask followups
Thank you