Health Services

WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I HAVE BEEN SEXUALLY ASSAULTED?

Your safety and health are the priorities.. Please consider an exam to evaluate injuries, and/or collect evidence, and medication for sexually transmitted disease and pregnancy prevention. These should be provided as soon as possible after an assault, within 72 hours.

• Get to a safe place
• Call for help. If you have been injured, or feel unsafe now, please call the local police (911) or RUPD on campus ( 5111) immediately. you have the right to speak with a sexual assault advocate, and to be taken to an emergency room for evaluation and care. Getting help does not mean that you must press charges.
• If you are on campus, during business hours, call Sexual Assault Services/ RUN (973 353 HELP) or come to Blumenthal Hall Suite 104.

Do not: bathe, shower, brush your hair or teeth, use mouthwash, urinate, smoke, change clothes, or do anything that may wash away or destroy evidence that you may decide to have collected. It is normal to want to feel “clean”, but delaying these activities until you are evaluated and treated may help you hold the perpetrator responsible for his/her actions.

If you think you were drugged: go to an emergency room immediately. Tell them you were sexually assaulted and think you were drugged. They must collect a urine sample and refrigerate it as soon as possible. Most drugs are not detectable after 12-24 hours. You may also collect a urine sample in a clean glass container, refrigerate it, and bring it to Health Services, Blumenthal Hall as soon as possible. This will not be as reliable as one collected as part of a forensic exam. You will need to file a police report to have your urine tested for drugs. The laboratory of the New Jersey State Police is the best resource for conducting this test, and they will only test as part of a criminal investigation.

• What are my rights if I am a victim of sexual assault?
   • Campus Sexual Assault Victim’s Bill of Rights
   • What is Limited Confidentiality?
•How can I file a complaint or charges if I am assaulted ?