Additional Info for Healthcare Professionals

GP letters/follow-up

If patients disclose a sexual assault to you please offer them the options of care as described here.

Please feel free to telephone SATU at any stage for advice or further information.

All patients who attend SATU are offered the choice of a summary of their care to be sent to their GP.

All patients are offered emergency contraception, Chlamydia prophylaxis and Hepatitis B vaccination.

Following risk assessment some patients may be prescribed PEPSE – post exposure prophylaxis for HIV with appropriate follow up with infectious disease department of the Mater Hospital.

Clinical nurse/midwife specialist

These nurses/midwives are employed in SATUs around the country, providing holistic care and performing a forensic clinical examination for patients who present with a history of rape/sexual assault.

Courses for doctors

Doctors who wish to work in this area are now afforded the opportunity to have a formal graduate certificate of training, which is supported by University College Dublin. A graduate diploma in forensic medicine and MSc programme also exist. These courses are generally advertised in the national press and further information can be obtained from www.ucd.ie and legal.medicine@ucd.ie