Your health and safety is the number one priority at the moment.
Make sure you are in a safe place.
You can discuss your rights and options related to obtaining a forensic exam with a confidential CARE advocate.
If a sexual assault took place in the last 5 days:
Please call UCI CARE to speak with a confidential advocate or visit the CARE office.
G320 Student Center
Monday – Friday
8 am – 5 pm
After Hours:
To connect with a confidential advocate after hours or on the weekend, please contact Waymakers.
What is a Forensic Exam
A forensic exam is a medical examination that focuses on collecting evidence from the assault. A certified Forensic Nurse will collect evidence in a trauma informed manner. Forensic Exams are available for both sexual assault and domestic abuse and police involvement is optional.
A forensic exam is time-sensitive and may not be an option for everyone. Medical resources are always available for wellness checks and the prevention and testing for sexually transmitted infections and pregnancy through the UCI Student Health Center. You do not need to disclose the reason(s) to obtain these tests. Please note, however, that if you do disclose the reason is due to sexual assault or domestic violence, all Student Health Center staff are mandated reporters and are required to report to the police. You are not required to speak with the police unless you want or are ready to.
UCI’s forensic exam site is designated specifically for UCI affiliates (student, staff & faculty) is located on the UCI main campus and can be accessed either through the UCI CARE office or through Waymakers, a community partner who also serves as Orange County’s rape crisis organization. Orange County’s forensic exam site is located at Anaheim Regional Medical Center. Obtaining a free forensic exam requires coordination through Waymakers or you may charged a fee.
Medical Care Following a Sexual Assault
Survivors have three medical options 5 days following a sexual assault:
Evidentiary Exam (requires a police report)An evidentiary exam is an option available to survivors who would wish to report to law enforcement first and within five days of the assault. Evidentiary exams are intended to collect forensic evidence for use in criminal prosecution. The exam is a head to toe exam that includes emergency contraception and STI preventive medications.
VAWA Exam (does not require a police report) The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) provides survivors with the opportunity to have physical evidence collected through a modified evidentiary exam. This allows for the survivor to collect evidence without making an initial report to law enforcement. The evidence is collected and preserved for up to two years if the survivor decides to move forward with making a report to law enforcement.
Medical Check-up (Does not require a police report and does not collect evidence) If a survivor does not want to report to law enforcement or decides to seek assistance outside of the 5 day window, they may schedule an appointment with a medical provider to obtain medical care. Survivors may schedule an appointment with their primary care provider, the Student Health and Wellness Center, or Planned Parenthood. You may ask them for preventative STI medication or emergency contraceptives.
Please note: Per California Penal Code §§ 11160, all medical providers in California are mandated reporters when they are treating an injury caused by “abusive or assaultive” behavior. This means that a healthcare provider may need to make a police report if their patient discloses that the injury they are seeking treatment for was caused by abuse or assault.
Other options to preserve evidence: A forensic examination is one way to preserve evidence, but it’s not the only way. You can easily take some important steps to preserve evidence by:
• You can save clothing that was worn, or any pads/tampons, etc., at the time of the assault in paper bags. Make sure to store these items separately so that they are not touching the other items. Do NOT place items to be stored in plastic bags – this may cause mold to grow and may destroy any biological evidence.
• Saving all text messages, emails, social media postings (taking screenshots can be helpful) or anything else that might relate to the assault, or that might be helpful later in reconstructing a timeline of events.
• If you’ve already deleted text messages, you might be able to recover them if it’s still within the same billing period; contact your mobile service provider for information.
• Writing down the names of people who might have seen you immediately before or after the assault, as it’s easy to later forget names or locations.
• Even if you don’t want to participate in the investigative process now, you might change your mind later, so it’s helpful to preserve as much information as possible.