The Medical Evaluation of Sexual Abuse in Children
Allan R. De Jong M.D.1
1 Jefferson Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia
A number of questions must be addressed in order to effectively manage cases of sexual abuse in children. The author discusses when sexual abuse should be suspected, why physicians are often reluctant to manage such cases, who should perform the medical examination, the possibility of children contracting various sexually transmitted diseases, how to distinquish sexual fantasy from actual abuse, and reasons that a child might delay or retract a report of abuse.
