Justice Dept. Urged To Modify Guidelines For Sex Assault Victims

 

Attorney General Spitzer today released the attached correspondence calling on the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to modify its medical guidelines for treating victims of sexual assault.

Spitzer was joined by the California Attorney General Bill Lockyer, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan and New Mexico Attorney General Patricia Madrid in calling for the modification of the National Protocol for Sexual Assault Medical Forensic Examination to include information on the availability of emergency contraception.

"Given that hospitals across the country will look to the protocol as a national standard of care, it is critical that the protocol include information about the provision of emergency contraception to sexual assault victims, as well as make clear that these victims have a right to be offered such basic care," the letter states.

New York law requires that emergency contraception be offered to victims of sexual assault, but many other states lack similar statutes. By offering emergency contraception, pregnancies that could result from rape may be reduced.

Attachment:

 

 

 

 

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