Category: Sexual Assault

Articles of Note: August 2020 Edition

Post author By Jen
Post date August 14, 2020

It’s time once again for Articles of Note, our monthly romp…well, you know the drill by now. There’s some exciting stuff in here–especially in terms of care of the queer and trans communities–plus there’s a smattering of big, sweeping analyses, for those of you who like big-picture research. As always, it’s not exhaustive, but simply what’s caught my eye in the peer-reviewed literature as of late. {Please refresh your screen if the embedded doc below doesn’t immediately appear–sometimes it’s moody.}

COVID-related research is in red; free full-text articles are marked (although there’s not much this month). Hit me up if you’re having trouble getting articles, though–don’t suffer in silence and don’t bankrupt yourself if you’re not lucky enough to have access to a university or hospital library. Here at FHO we are connected to a few benefactors who can help out with such matters.

Thanks to everyone who offered to review the next monograph on testimony–I’m still working my way through it, but as soon as it’s ready for fresh eyes I will be contacting a few of you for an early read and feedback.

Don’t forget to visit our FHO Store where you’ll find a complete list of our offerings, perfect to help prep for your next court date or educational offering, including the latest: Applying the Strangulation Research to Expert Testimony. And coming soon: Testimony and the Forensic Nurse Expert.

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Articles of Note Child Abuse DV/IPV Elder Abuse/Neglect Sexual Assault

Articles of Note: July 2020 Edition

Post author By Jen
Post date July 15, 2020

It’s time once again for Articles of Note, our monthly romp through the peer-reviewed literature. As always, there’s no shortage of science to peruse, so if you are still side-lined because of COVID, or are at least finding yourself [again, still] with far more time on your hands than you used to, I suggest working your way through the list. COVID-related research and reviews are in red; full-text articles are marked as such. Links, for the most part, will take you to PubMed abstracts. Most of you have been here for quite some time and know the drill, but in case you’re new here, it’s generally pretty self-explanatory. [The embedded PDF doesn’t always load the first go-round, so refresh if you don’t have immediate success.]. If you are having trouble finding a particular article, please let me know–we have our ways here at FHO 🙂

Starting the last week of this month I’m back on the road (allegedly–hello, Ft. Bragg), so while I don’t relish trying to keep myself out of the clutches of the cornona virus, I do look forward to seeing some of you in three dimension, rather than over my computer screen. Man, do I miss uncomplicated human interactions…

I’m finishing up the next monograph for the FHO store–this one is on testimony, and it is more workbook and guidebook than research compilation, as previous resources have been. If you are interested in being a peer reviewer for this one, please let me know. I am always looking for new reviewers of varying levels and types of forensic nursing experience. Reviewers receive a free copy of the monograph once it’s published.

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Articles of Note Child Abuse DV/IPV Elder Abuse/Neglect Sexual Assault Testimony

Articles of Note: June 2020 Edition

Post author By Jen
Post date June 15, 2020

It’s time once again for Articles of Note, our monthly romp through the newly published scientific articles. Just like last month, those citations in red are COVID-related forensic pubs; everything else is your non-pandemic forensic healthcare-associated research or clinical literature. You’ll notice there’s less red this month which is–better? Not sure. Here in the US we’re being awfully cavalier about this virus, so I guess we shall have to see.

As always, links take you to PubMed abstracts unless you see the words FREE FULL TEXT–those take you to the full article. Do let me know if you have trouble getting your hands on a particular article, in case you are not blessed with hospital librarians, or located within actual academic institutions. We have connections here at FHO 🙂 Happy reading, everyone…

[If you have trouble seeing the embedded document on your page below please refresh–sometimes it doesn’t show up the 1st time, for reasons no one can explain to me.]

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{Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash}

Articles of Note Child Abuse DV/IPV Elder Abuse/Neglect Sexual Assault Testimony

Articles of Note: May 2020 Edition

Post author By Jen
Post date May 14, 2020

It’s time once again for Articles of Note, our monthly romp through the newly published, peer-reviewed literature. Something different you may notice this month: articles specific to the intersection of COVID-19 and violence are delineated in red, for those of you looking for that content in particular. Otherwise, everything continues unchanged, even as we plug away, here at FHO headquarters, going on 9 weeks of lockdown (but healthy, knock wood, and still seeing patients Thursday nights, so there’s a break in the routine). Here’s hoping these articles find you healthy, as well, and able to continue feeding your brain and growing/strengthening your practice.

Links take you to PubMed abstracts, as always, except where noted as Full Text. Enjoy the reading–we’re heavy on sexual assault this month, but there are some interesting articles on the role of forensic nurses in here, too. [If the doc below doesn’t come up the first time, reload your page & see if that doesn’t do the trick.]

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Don’t forget to visit our FHO Store where you’ll find a complete list of our offerings, perfect to help prep for your next court date or educational offering, including the latest: Applying the Strangulation Research to Expert Testimony.

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Articles of Note Child Abuse DV/IPV Elder Abuse/Neglect Sexual Assault Testimony

Articles of Note: April 2020 Edition

Post author By Jen
Post date April 15, 2020

It’s time once again for Articles of Note, our monthly romp through what’s newly published in the peer-reviewed literature. A few items of interest for those of you who are educators, and a good bit of variety for everyone else in the field. Lots that is clinically relevant, not all of it from the US. Plus one or two familiar faces in the bunch, which I always like to see.

A note in response to a reader’s query about whether (essentially) posting=endorsing. The answer, of course, is no–I post what I think is interesting, what I think others may find interesting, and what I think is worth noticing, even if it isn’t particularly great. Please remember that not everything given space in a journal is actually good science. And just because we think it’s good science today doesn’t mean we might not revise that opinion a year or two down the road. So please read critically–pick apart hypotheses, consider whether what you read applies to your own patient populations or mirrors what you see in practice. I publish these compilations only to get folks to read. What you choose to do with that information is up to you.

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Don’t forget to visit our FHO Store where you’ll find a complete list of our offerings, perfect to help prep for your next court date or educational offering, including the latest: Applying the Strangulation Research to Expert Testimony.

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Articles of Note Child Abuse DV/IPV Elder Abuse/Neglect Sexual Assault

Articles of Note: March 2020 (Social Distancing) Edition

Post author By Jen
Post date March 17, 2020

My hunch is you are falling into one of two categories professionally right now–either ridiculously busy as you try and manage the clinical fallout that is the reality of the pandemic (I see you ED and critical care folks, and all you who are floating right now to lend a hand), or (my situation) eerily at a standstill as much of the work has fallen off the calendar and you are, for the time being, grounded. I am fortunate that my consulting firm has a diverse portfolio that includes a substantial amount of policy and writing work that I am able to do remotely, so for the time being, that will be where my focus lies. This also allows for some catch up with reading, so, as scheduled, it’s time once again for Articles of Note, our monthly romp through the newly released peer-reviewed literature. If things are slower for you, perhaps you’ll be able to catch up on some reading, as well. You’ll notice there’s more this month, and for those of you who include elder abuse among your areas of concentration, you’re particularly in luck–there was quite a bit this month on that subject.

Here’s hoping this finds you in good health; that those of you with school aged-children are figuring this out as schools are closed but work continues; that acts of kindness aren’t scarce in these uncertain times; and that the world resumes some sense of normalcy sooner rather than later. Stay well everyone.

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Don’t forget to visit our FHO Store where you’ll find a complete list of our offerings, perfect to help prep for your next court date or educational offering, including the latest: Applying the Strangulation Research to Expert Testimony.

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Articles of Note Child Abuse DV/IPV Elder Abuse/Neglect Sexual Assault

Articles of Note: February 2020 Edition

Post author By Jen
Post date February 11, 2020
2 Comments on Articles of Note: February 2020 Edition

It’s time once again for Articles of Note, our monthly romp through the newly published peer-reviewed literature. As always, this isn’t an exhaustive review of what’s been released, but a pretty robust list of the science that has caught my eye and feels particularly relevant to practice. Shoutout to all the forensic nurses publishing this month–I see you 🙂

There’s a lot to work through so gird your loins, gang. As always, links lead to PubMed abstracts.

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Don’t forget to visit our FHO Store where you’ll find a complete list of our offerings, perfect to help prep for your next court date or educational offering, including the latest: Applying the Strangulation Research to Expert Testimony.

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Articles of Note Child Abuse DV/IPV Elder Abuse/Neglect Sexual Assault Testimony

Articles of Note: January 2020 Edition

Post author By Jen
Post date January 16, 2020

It’s time once again for Articles of Note, our monthly romp through the newly published peer-reviewed literature, and our first edition here in our new home. There’s plenty to capture the attention, so take your time with the list.

I should also mention for those who didn’t see the initial newsletter or the announcement on social media, we’re giving away two IAFN conference registrations for this year’s meeting in Palm Springs. Last year, we gave away one, and we gave it to a reader. This year, it’s two, and it’s for someone a reader promotes. Why? Because people are out there doing good work. And because that good work needs to be shouted from the rooftops. And because there’s plenty of self-promotion in the world, but a paucity of lifting up of others. And we need to see forensic nurses shining in public. On social media in particular. So if you would like to participate, please tell us about a member of your crew who is doing great things. You can leave a comment here, email us–OR better yet, shout it from the social media rooftops on the FHO Facebook page or on Twitter. Please use the hashtag #ShineOnForensicRN so we can find your entries. Winners won’t be chosen at random so make those entries good. The giveaway will be live until January 22nd. All FHO readers are eligible, including international readers.

Anyway, back to this month’s articles–links lead to PubMed abstracts, excepts where indicated:

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Have you checked out the FHO store lately? You can find the newest research brief, Applying The Strangulation Research To Expert Testimony In Cases With Adult Victims. Or purchase the complete set of three (Strangulation, Aging Bruises, and Consensual Sex Injury) for a special price.

Articles of Note Child Abuse DV/IPV Elder Abuse/Neglect Sexual Assault

Articles of Note: December 2019 Edition (See You in 2020)

Post author By Jen
Post date December 12, 2019
6 Comments on Articles of Note: December 2019 Edition (See You in 2020)

This will be the last post of the year–I am closing up shop for the remainder of the year to prep a couple of large projects and spend some time with family and friends (not to mention, celebrate a milestone birthday with Sasha 🙂 ). When I come back, it will likely be with a brand new website, a completely new look, and the 11th anniversary of FHO. I imagine there will be a giveaway involved in commemorating that momentous occasion, so stay tuned for more details.

I figured we’d end the year in the most appropriate way–one final Articles of Note to give folks a bit of reading over the holidays. You’ll notice it looks a little different–PubMed has had a facelift, and in the process, is better in some ways, but worse for this list. So now, all links lead to Publisher’s websites for abstracts, except where indicated (and there’s a lot that’s free full text this month). Nice to also see some friends among the authors.

As always, thanks for turning out to this nerdy little website in 2019. Almost 2000 of you now subscribe; more than 22K new users showed up this year, and if you’re wondering what the number one most visited page was on the site (besides the home page, of course), it was this one (which I guess, shouldn’t surprise me that much).

See you back here next year. A safe, happy and healthy holiday to you all.

xoxo Jen

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Have you checked out the FHO store lately? You can find the newest research brief, Applying The Strangulation Research To Expert Testimony In Cases With Adult Victims. Or purchase the complete set of three (Strangulation, Aging Bruises, and Consensual Sex Injury) for a special price.

DV/IPV Sexual Assault

Prevention Beyond the Binary: From Inclusive Language to Inclusive Sexual and Intimate Partner Violence Prevention for LGBTQ+ Communities

Post author By Jen
Post date December 3, 2019

PreventConnect has an excellent webinar coming up, in part because the presenter lineup is stellar–Prevention Beyond the Binary: From Inclusive Language to Inclusive Sexual and Intimate Partner Violence Prevention for LGBTQ+ Communities. The session will be held December 17th from 2-3:30pm ET. Their stuff tends to fill, but it will be archived so if you can’t attend live, check back because it should be available after the fact. And PLEASE don’t let the “prevention” part of that title deter you, clinicians–1.) prevention applies to your practices; and 2.) even if you don’t believe me, there are lessons to be learned here that will apply to your practices in terms of inclusive language. From the website:

Sexual and intimate partner violence prevention practitioners have the opportunity to advance prevention strategies that will reduce violence against LGBTQ+ communities in ways that are community-centered, inclusive, expansive, and promote healthy, safe communities. Join PreventConnect, the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence, and experts from the field to discuss ways to challenge homophobia and transphobia in evidence-based programming, how to build an expansive framework for prevention beyond prescribed interventions, and ways mainstream organizations can build allyship and inclusiveness starting today.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

Describe inclusive practices that promote LGBTQ+ acceptance and safety
Identify strategies that prevent violence against LGBTQ+ people and communities
Engage in a discussion about the strengths and opportunities within the field of sexual and intimate partner violence prevention to advance primary prevention by and for LGBTQ+ communities

HOSTS/FACILITATORS: Ashleigh Klein-Jimenez & Tori VandeLinde, PreventConnect and CALCASA

GUESTS:

Arlene Vassell, Vice President of Programs, Prevention & Social Change, National Resource Center on Domestic Violence
Casey Keene, Director of Programs & Prevention, National Resource Center on Domestic Violence
Mauro Sifuentes, Independent Consultant and Trainer
michael munson, Executive Director, FORGE
Fatima Arain, Field Coordinator, National LGBTQ Institute on IPV

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DV/IPV Sexual Assault

VAWA Confidentiality: Empowering Survivors, Protecting Information

Post author By Jen
Post date November 19, 2019

Victim Rights Law Center has a webinar coming up on the critical topic of confidentiality, and since my general experience is that people/programs are not as good at this one as we would all hope, I encourage you to check it out (see Exhibit A — the most recent example in what has become a very dense file). VAWA Confidentiality: Empowering Survivors, Protecting Information will be held December 5th at 1pm ET. [I do not know if it will be archived, so please check with the hosts.] From the announcement:

The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) requires OVW-funded victim service providers to protect survivors’ privacy. This interactive webinar will highlight how VAWA confidentiality requirements compliment survivor empowerment and offer best practices for maintaining survivors’ privacy. By participating in this webinar, victim services providers will be better able to explain how the VAWA privacy requirements relate to survivor-centered care.

This is obviously a multidisciplinary training, so I encourage you to share with colleagues in your SARTs/MDTs. You can register for the session here.

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Articles of Note Child Abuse DV/IPV Elder Abuse/Neglect Sexual Assault Testimony

Articles of Note: November 2019 Edition

Post author By Jen
Post date November 13, 2019

Time once again for Articles of Note, our monthly romp through the peer-reviewed literature. Plenty to read, plenty to consider this month (as always). Links lead to PubMed abstracts–please don’t stop there. Sift through the abstracts to decide what’s worth your time, and what doesn’t apply to your clinical life. Better yet, divide among your colleagues and get together for real-time discussion. What an excellent use of staff meeting time.

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Sexual Assault

Free Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Course for the New MSU SANE Program

Post author By Jen
Post date November 12, 2019
1 Comment on Free Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Course for the New MSU SANE Program

As some of you know, I have spent the last year working with Michigan State University to build a SANE program on campus. Next spring, the program will open its doors; in anticipation of its opening, we will be holding a free SANE training on January 13-17, 2020. Space will be limited, and priority will go to people who are interested in working in the program. We are hiring 4 full-time RNs and a full-time advanced practice nurse who will be the medical director of the program. Prior SANE experience is not required. Anyone interested in working in the program must attend the January course, regardless of prior SANE training or experience. This program will be staffed around the clock; there will be no on-call hours. In addition to the full-time positions, we will also be hiring a small number of adjunct positions to assist when staff members are on vacation or there is a short-term gap in the schedule.

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Kim Day and I will be the primary instructors for this course. We are fortunate that IAFN is a partner in this training, and the curriculum has been modified to address the specific and unique challenges that campus communities face, such as FERPA.

Feel free to contact me if you have questions about the course or any of the positions: jenifer.markowitz@gmail.com. Registration for the course should also be sent back to me.

Please also feel free to share this with non-forensic nursing listservs and social media sites, particularly for those of you in Michigan. Thanks!

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DV/IPV Sexual Assault

Providing Forensic Healthcare and Support to Native Communities

Post author By Jen
Post date November 6, 2019

The Forensic Technology Center of Excellence has a webinar coming up, Providing Forensic Healthcare and Support to Native Communities. The session will be held November 21st at 1pm ET. Their sessions are archived if you aren’t able to attend live. From the announcement:

Awareness of how to provide culturally appropriate and trauma informed services to the American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) community is important for forensic examiners. This webinar will discuss includes jurisdictional factors affecting examinations, pertinent laws to consider, and health care services that may be available to AI/AN populations.

In this webinar, the presenter discusses factors that forensic examiners should be aware of when providing trauma informed, culturally appropriate services to American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) people. The presenter reviews relevant laws for forensic examiners and explains various jurisdictional factors affecting examinations, chain of custody, and prosecution. Additionally, she discusses types of health care services that may be available to AI/AN populations and provides further resources for healthcare provider training, clinical support, and survivor outreach.

Detailed Learning Objectives:

• Explain at least four factors and barriers that American Indian/Alaska Native people who have experienced domestic sexual violence may encounter when seeking health care and justice.

• Explain differences in state, federal, and tribal jurisdictions related to forensic healthcare access, law enforcement services, and control of crime prosecution.

• Locate and access at least five healthcare training resources, grant sources, and patient support entities that specifically include or promote AI/AN services.

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Sexual Assault

Navigating Difficult Situations: Common Issues SARTs Face

Post author By Jen
Post date November 5, 2019

I”m out in Flagstaff this week (and then I’m headed to Korea next week), so posting may be somewhat light over the next several weeks. But here’s a webinar coming up at the end of the month for those of you looking to strengthen your MDTs: Navigating Difficult Situations–Common Issues SARTs Face is being offered by the Sexual Violence Justice Institute. It will be held November 25th from 1-2:30pm CT. From the announcement:

Sexual assault response teams are a great strategy to improve access to healing and justice for victims/survivors and increase offender accountability. And, there are common issues or barriers that teams face as they strengthen the collaborative response. This webinar will focus on common questions that we receive from SARTs across the country. Although many SARTs experience similar issues, each situation and community requires unique strategies. We will explore the questions, offer strategies that have worked for other teams, and hear some new things that have worked in your communities!

Learning Objectives or Outcomes

Provide examples of common issues that sexual assault response teams face
Discuss strategies for navigating through those issues as a coordinator
Normalize these common issues while acknowledging the unique needs of communities
Walk away with tips and tools to guide you as work with your team

I didn’t see a registration button on their site, so you may need to contact them directly or keep checking their site.

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Child Abuse Sexual Assault

How to Prevent Sexual Violence Against Children — 7 Days of Ideas

Post author By Jen
Post date October 31, 2019

Here’s a cool-looking offering: Apolitical is offering a micro-course called How to Prevent Sexual Violence Against Children — 7 Days of Ideas. I know nothing about it beyond what’s on their site, but I am thoroughly intrigued:

On November 20, 1989, the UN General Assembly adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child. 30 years on, major strides in children’s rights have been made, but the nature of sexual abuse and exploitation of children is evolving. Increasingly, abuse and exploitation are happening online — and often governments are ill-equipped to address these new threats.

We’ll walk you through practical approaches to addressing the issue, highlighting the most innovative tools, technologies and techniques which are working to prevent sexual violence against children. You’ll get:

Bite-sized activities or articles, taking 10 minutes or less per day, for 7 days
A practical introduction to evidence-based interventions for preventing child sexual violence – and how to apply it to your work
Global case studies and reading lists highlighting best practices and innovations in the field

You can complete as many or as few as you like, and you’ll have opportunities to connect with peers and experts applying these concepts globally.

To participate you must register by 15 November. See all the details here.

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Sexual Assault

Medical-Forensic Exam Payment Webinar Series from IAFN

Post author By Jen
Post date October 23, 2019

A very excellent webinar series is coming up, courtesy of IAFN’s new medical-forensic exam billing and payment project. There are three, the first of which will be November 26, 2019 at 12pm ET: When Things Don’t Go Right: Sexual Assault Exam Billing and Payment – It’s TIME for Change! From the website: Come be apart of the solution: 10+ years post VAWA, barriers exist for victims who were guaranteed free exams, including being billed for exams and being pursued by debt collection agencies.

Following that:

nPEP Costs HOW MUCH for the Sexual Assault Patient? December 3, 2019 at 2:30pm ET (Description: The National SAFE Protocol and the CDC recommend that every sexual assault patient be evaluated for HIV risk. However, nurse examiners are often unaware of the actual cost of HIV nPEP, and options for providing nPEP which can affect patient access to medications that may be lifesaving. At the conclusion of this webinar and with the help of four-panel members from three different states and the District of Columbia, the participants will be able to identify the current recommended guidelines for the administration of HIV nPEP to patients in the acute phase post-sexual assault. They will be able to recognize the estimated cost for HIV nPEP, articulate various HIV nPEP billing and payment coverage options, and describe various gaps in HIV nPEP coverage for sexual assault patients across the nation.)

Billing and Coding 101: Learn the Anatomy of Billing and Coding for Sexual Assault Patients like a Pro. December 19, 2019 at 2pm ET (Description: SANE program managers and hospital billing departments are unprepared to properly code requests for payment to state-designated payers for the sexual assault medical forensic examinations which can result in payment denials and patients potentially receiving bills for service, violating VAWA. With the guidance from Shelley Voci, a coding specialist, at the conclusion of this webinar, the participants will be to articulate the history of ICD-10-CM, as well as identify and describe common ICD-10-CM for sexual assault patients, and interpret an example bill for services rendered status post-sexual assault medical forensic examination.)

CEs will be available for IAFN members. The sessions will be archived, in case you can’t make the live session. Register for all the webinars here.

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Articles of Note Child Abuse DV/IPV Elder Abuse/Neglect Sexual Assault Testimony

Articles of Note: October 2019 Edition

Post author By Jen
Post date October 16, 2019

It’s time once again for Articles of Note, our monthly romp through the newly published peer-reviewed literature. There is *a lot* of choice material to sort through this month, so I hope you will spend some quality time with the list. As always, links lead to PubMed abstracts.

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Child Abuse Sexual Assault

2018 STD Surveillance Report

Post author By Jen
Post date October 10, 2019
1 Comment on 2018 STD Surveillance Report

(1st week of Journal Club is live, so feel free to jump in; we’ll pose new questions each Tuesday.)

The CDC just released its 2018 STD Surveillance Report and it is grim. They’re reporting increases in chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis (including congenital syphilis, which is up 185% since 2014). Helpful to know as you are considering what services to provide, including testing vs presumptive treating, medication choices, etc. As always, consult your local health department as well to get an accurate picture of the incidence and prevalence in your own community.

Read the full report here.

Table of contents if you want to jump around or are interested in specific data.

Here are your state ranking tables.

And for those of you looking for PPT slides, you can find the full downloadable list here.

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Child Abuse DV/IPV Sexual Assault

What We Know About the Polyvictimization of Youth

Post author By Jen
Post date September 25, 2019

The Center for Victim Research has a webinar coming up next week, What We Know About the Polyvictimization of Youth. The session will be held on September 30th at 2pm ET. From the site:

This webinar will focus on poly-victims, the subgroup of youth that endure the highest burden of victimization. We will cover how it has been studied, how often it occurs, what we know about its adverse effects and what we can do to respond to the needs of this highly victimized group of children.

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