The male rape victim: evaluation and treatment

The medical literature offers little guidance in the evaluation of male victims of sexual assault. The statutes are a confusing patchwork of conflicting and sexually biased laws. Children and adolescents probably represent the majority of patients, and are typically engaged by subterfuge, often with adults known to the child. Forcible assault, common in adult victims, is not characteristic in the pediatric age group. The evaluation and treatment of the sexually abused male victim is similar to his female counterpart. Physicians and emergency department staff must be knowledgeable regarding their responsibilities to these patients, and concerned with the medical, legal and psychological ramifications of sexual assault.