Sexual abuse of children and adolescents

Clinicians are seeing greater numbers of children and adolescents suspected of being sexually abused. In the past, the interpretation of the medical findings was hampered by a lack of knowledge of normal anatomy and genital flora in the nonabused prepubertal child. The quality of more recent studies has been improved by the use of more appropriate controls and by the thorough evaluation of reportedly normal girls to ensure that they are truly nonabused. Such studies have provided the clinician with more accurate medical data with which to support the diagnosis of child sexual abuse.