Coping with the pediatric anogenital exam

To focus on children's and adult guardians' anticipatory and acute attempts to cope with the pediatric anogenital exam.

A sample of 40 girls (ages 8-15) and a separate sample of 109 adult guardians who accompanied children to the medical clinic rated their use of specific coping strategies on a 5-point Likert scale both pre- and postexam.

Overall, participants reported relatively high levels of active coping strategies and relatively low levels of passive coping responses throughout the medical encounter. Effects of situational and dispositional variables on the use of specific coping strategies also were found.

Data provided indirect evidence of the inherent strengths and self-righting tendencies of those dealing with the exceptional circumstances surrounding allegations of child sexual abuse. Such data suggest the value of identifying individuals' coping resources and options to facilitate successful completion of the medical evaluation and provide therapeutic benefit to patients and families.