Sexual assault services coverage on Native American land.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Services Research
• Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

Background:

• Native American women face disproportionately high rates of sexual assault.
• Limited data exists on the accessibility of forensic services for these victims.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the geographic accessibility of sexual assault forensic services for Native American lands in the U.S.
• To identify coverage gaps and inform service expansion strategies.

Main Methods:

• Utilized GIS technology to map existing sexual assault examiner (SAE) and sexual assault response team (SART) programs.
• Analyzed proximity of these services to 650 census-designated Native American lands.
• Included 29 Indian Health Service and tribal facilities in the analysis.

Main Results:

• Only 30.7% of Native American lands are within a 60-minute drive of SAE or SART services.
• Existing Indian Health Service and tribal facilities improved access for 35 Native American lands.
• Over two-thirds of Native American lands have inadequate or no coverage, with 381 lands completely lacking services.

Conclusions:

• Significant disparities exist in sexual assault forensic service accessibility for Native American populations.
• Expansion of SAE and SART services on or near Native American lands is critically needed.
• Addressing these gaps is essential for improving victim support and justice outcomes.