Child Sexual Abuse: It REALLY is Normal to be Normal!

Speaker: Dena Nazer, MD, FAAP

Studies have shown the deficiency of medical knowledge and training in identifying normal female genital anatomy and the evaluation of children who are suspected victims of sexual abuse. Physicians also exhibit discomfort when performing these evaluations whether when making the diagnosis or when testifying in court.

This presentation will be a case-based presentation and will provide an overview of when, where and how to evaluate a child when sexual abuse is suspected. It will start with an overview and address how to evaluate children, and how to perform the evaluation using a child-centered trauma-sensitive approach.

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will know how, when, where and why a medical evaluation for a child suspected of having been sexually abused is conducted

• Participants will be able to explain why the physical and laboratory findings are often absent in children evaluated for suspected sexual abuse.

• Participants will further understand the role of the medical evaluation as part of the multidisciplinary team evaluation and its importance despite the normal findings

Desired Results:

Participants will be able to identify normal exams and will be able to refer the child to a variety of needed services.