This book examines sexual contact and abuse from a purely scientific and medical perspective.

The book covers:

• the recently updated and relevant legislation
• the sexual biology (anatomy and physiology) of the body, especially related to understanding medical aspects of injury and sexual contact, how and when injuries are caused, and how these relate to findings and their consequences
• the critical aspects of medical forensic examinations including incident history, clinical examination technique, medical findings, evidence collection, special laboratory investigations and medical reports for court

The cadre of forensic nursing as a professional scope of nursing has recently been accepted by the Nursing Council and is now beginning to emerge, and legally in this country such nurses are now allowed to examine sexual abuse cases, issue reports and give testimony provided they undergo an accredited training programme in sexual abuse medicine. In addition, medical and legal professionals need to understand, interpret, and present sexual medical evidence appropriately in sexual offences cases.

This book will serve as a ready reference for the understanding and interpretation of the sexual biology and medicine, both in the medical practitioner’s consulting room and the courtroom.