Promising Practice Programs

Forensic & Medical Sexual Assault Care (FAMSAC)

Building 5 Level 1
The Canberra Hospital
Canberra ACT
2606

• Women
• Adult survivors of sexual assault
• Male victims of sexual assault
• Indigenous people
• Culturally diverse populations
• People with disabilities

The aim of FAMSAC is to provide high quality forensic and medical care to people who have experienced sexual assault.

This includes the person's choice of the gender of the examining medical practitioner, appropriate follow up, as well as streamlined therapeutic and forensic medical procedures.

All forensic, medical treatment and counselling services are available to victims at their initial contact with the health system.

Clients who have experienced sexual assault only undergo one intimate physical examination, with counselling support offered by Canberra Rape Crisis Centre.

• Provision of medical and forensic care combined with counselling services.
• Initiates follow up of clients within 48hours and up until 12 weeks.
• Takes account of contemporary research and practice developments in the field of sexual assault.
• Positions diversity as key to the development, understanding and delivery of good practice models.
• Contributes to improving systems' responses to sexual assault, and is directed at preventing sexual assault.
• Demonstrates a sensitivity towards the barriers faced by victim/survivors in disclosing and reporting sexual assault.
• Has a clearly defined conceptual framework.
• Includes processes of accountability and evaluation.
• Demonstrates a capacity for replication (i.e. other services/organisations could adapt/re-model the program for their use).

This program strives to provide evidenced based forensic and medical care to victims of sexual assault, whilst treating survivors and their concerned others with compassion and respect.

We endeavour to continue the development of skills, knowledge and resources by promoting education and training programs, participating in community planning and developing resources relating to sexual assault.

• Mein, J K; Palmer, C M; Shand, M C; Templeton, D J; Parekh, V; Mobbs, M; Haig, K; Huffam, S E; Young, L (2003) Management of acute adult sexual assault. Medical Journal of Australia v.178 no.5 Mar 2003: 226-230, tables, figures, and Online.
• Parekh V, Beaumont Brown C. (2003) Follow up of patients who have been recently sexually assaulted. Sex Transm Infect;79:349.
• Parekh V, (2004) A taboo topic for dinner conversation. ed Tang S, Ding J. Annual Publication of the Australian Chinese Medical Association Inc. Ivy Printing Victoria. Pg.56.
• Parekh V, Currie M, & Beaumont Brown C. (2005) 'A postgraduate sexual assault medicine program: Sexual assault medicine from scratch.' Science Medicine & the Law. 44(2) (Accepted for publication).
• Parekh V. 'Responding To Sexual Assault- Medico legal services in the ACT.' The Key to Closing the Gap. The Canberra Hospital (June 2002, Aug 2003 Aug 2004).

• Sexual Assault Satellite Symposium, Perth 2002 Parekh V. Case presentation.
• Sexual Assault Satellite Symposium, Adelaide 2004 Parekh V, Martin S, Tyson A, Beaumont-Brown C. Case presentations.
• Sexual Assault Satellite Symposium, Adelaide 2004 Parekh V & Brennan P. The Great Debate: Should photographs of genital injures be taken.
• Australian College of Legal Medicine Weekend of Clinical Forensic Medicine Sydney 2004 Parekh V. Issues with photography in sexual assault Books and Guidelines.
• Parekh V. (ed) Fairley K, Russel D, Bradford D. (May 2005). Sexual Assault, Chapter 26. In Sexual Health Medicine - A Clinical Approach. (Accepted for publications).
• Parekh V. (2005). National management guidelines for sexually transmissible infections: Sexual assault reference chapter. The Venereology Society of Victoria Incorporated.
• Pharmacy Guild of Australia Guidelines for emergency contraception.

• FAMSAC Information pamphlets: Available at: http://health.act.gov.au/sexualhealth
• Forensic Evidence
• Rape related pregnancy
• Coping after sexual assault
• Supporting a woman after sexual assault
• Information for parents whose teenager has experienced sexual assault / rape.
• Supporting a man after sexual assault
• Your rights

• Sexual Assault Symposium / Australasian Sexual Health Conference Christchurch 2003.
• Sexual Assault Medicine from Scratch: Forensic education program.
• Sexual Assault Symposium / Australasian Sexual Health Conference Christchurch 2003. Strong Foundations a Nurse Coordinator.
• Sexual Assault Symposium / Australasian Sexual Health Conference Adelaide 2004 Forensic & Medical Sexual Assault Clinicians Australia.

Method: Internal pre-test and post-test, written evaluation following attendance.

A postal survey to all involved external services is undertaken annually. Comments have been consistently similar and extremely positive with suggestions on improving community awareness of the service. This was acted on.

A non identifiable questionnaire is given to clients at the 12 week follow up visit. This can be placed in the drop box in the front of the clinic or posted for return to the service. This qualitative data is again very positive.