The 24/7 emergency departments at Albany Medical Center, St. Peter's Hospital and Albany Memorial offer sexual assault nurse exams.
During this type of exam, a specially trained medical provider diagnoses and provides treatment for any injuries, explains and offers medications to prevent pregnancy (if applicable) and sexually transmitted diseases, and collects forensic evidence. Participation in all or some of this process is completely voluntary. (Note: St. Peter’s Hospital and Albany Memorial do not provide emergency contraception.)
Information provided during a medical exam is confidential and will not be released or shared without your consent. Completing a sexual assault nurse exam does not require you to report the violence to police or the University.
You should also be aware of the following:
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Sexual assault nurse exams provide potentially life-saving medical care and greatly enhance the likelihood of a successful prosecution of the assailant in a criminal case if you choose to report the incident now or in the future.
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It's important not to bathe, wash, change clothes or brush your teeth prior to seeking medical attention. If possible, it's also best that you not eat, drink or use the bathroom prior to the exam.
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For the purposes of evidence collection, the exam should be conducted within 96 hours of the assault. However, even if 96 hours have elapsed, the exam is still recommended.
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The exam is free and does not have to be charged to your insurance.
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The New York State Office of Victim Services may be able to assist in compensating victims/survivors for health care and counseling services, including emergency funds. Review the agency's Help for Crime Victims webpage or call their office at 1-800-247-8035 to learn more about your options.
You can request that an advocate accompany you to the hospital. Contact Albany County's Crime Victims and Sexual Violence Center's 24-hour Sexual Assault Hotline at 518-447-7716 for support.
Current UAlbany students can also seek non-emergency care from Student Health Services (SHS), which offers general medical care, gynecological services, lab tests, pharmacy services and STI testing. Make an SHS appointment. Note: SHS does not provide forensic exams.
SHS is a confidential resource, which means they will not share your information without your explicit permission (except for in extreme circumstances, such as a serious health and/or safety emergency).