Create Safe Places In ER's For Sexual Assault Victims!

Throughout the country, there are a few hospitals with programs for nurses, staff, and even exam rooms specifically designed for sexual assault survivors.  There are several of these programs on Long Island, NY.  Those programs are called "S.A.N.E - Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners."  These hospitals have examination rooms and nurses dedicated solely to helping sexual assault survivors.  Unfortunately, there are not enough of programs like this nation-wide.

Sexual assault survivors need to feel safe.  They need to have privacy.  The experience of being raped is horrific enough.  Sexual assault survivors need to feel comfortable enough to trust the medical staff, they need to feel that their privacy is being respected, and that they are not in an area of public display or access.  There is so much more to a sexual assault medical exam than a regular medical exam.  These programs offer all of that, plus hope, all of which are so critical at the time immediately following an attack.

The safer a survivor feels, the faster and easier they begin to recover.  It also gives them the hope they need when it comes to reporting their attack and pursuing a case against their attacker.  The social impact a program like this could have is greater than anyone can imagine.

Please help to make this a nation-wide program, so that more survivors are helped, more rapes are reported, and we can raise the level of health care given to all survivors.