Walk-in centres are often first line contact for rape victims

doi:10.1136/bmj.326.7400.1215-a

BMJ 2003;326:1215 (31 May), doi:10.1136/bmj.326.7400.1215-a

Letter

Walk-in centres are often first line contact for rape victims

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

EDITOR—Wilken and Welche discusssed the management of people who have been raped.¹ Walk-in centres provide emergencyhormonal contraception: we see women presenting for emergencyhormonal contraception because they have been raped.

Victims include people who have experienced "date rapes" or domestic violence—not everyone feels able to divulge thecircumstances of their experience. Amazingly, some do not evenrealise that they have been raped. Few want police involvement.

Walk-in centres could, in the future, take samples for bloodand urine 0-72 hours after the rape (for drugs), which is alsothe time frame for post-traumatic reactions and administrationof emergency contraception.

Walk-in centres offer long opening hours, treatment of minorinjuries, and drug treatment under primary group directionon site. Staff also have access to other relevant areas vialiaison links and referral pathways. Walk-in centre nursescould even be trained in forensic and sexual health examination. There is . . . [Full text of this article]

Maria J Gough, walk-in centre nurse practitioner

Harlow NHS Walk in Centre, Harlow, Essex CM20 1QO tabbs44@hotmail.com