The statement's principle medical research recommendations address the need for a longitudinal study of the healing of anogenital injuries and for the expansion and refinement of the understanding of normal anogenital anatomy. Four areas for additional medical research are described: uniform terminology, patient triage, sexually transmitted…

Summarizes highlights of a discussion among nine leaders in the field of child sexual abuse on issues in the epidemiology of child sexual abuse. (DB)

Summarizes a discussion by ten leaders in the field of child sexual abuse concerning the medical consequences of child sexual abuse. (DB)

This commentary on a paper (EC 619 270) about normal anogenital anatomy in children in relation to medical evaluation for child sexual abuse urges more studies involving nonabused children. (DB)

This commentary on a paper (EC 619 273) about the appearance of acute, healing, and healed anogenital injuries in children who have been sexually abused urges the development of guidelines to interpret the physical findings found in children. Limitations of current practice and clinical studies are noted. A research procedure for the development…

Summarizes highlights of a discussion among 11 leaders in the field of child sexual abuse concerning the behavioral manifestations of child sexual abuse. (DB)

Summarizes highlights of a discussion by eight leaders in the field of child sexual abuse concerning the appearance of acute, healing, and healed anogenital trauma in children who have been sexually abused. (DB)

This response to a previous article on behavioral manifestations of child sexual abuse (EC 619 258) stresses the importance of empirical research and the avoidance of assumptions that incidents of sexual abuse are the sentinel events in the life of a child, when the child's dysfunctional milieu may provide far more traumatic events. (DB)

Summarizes highlights of a discussion by 12 leaders in the field of child sexual abuse concerning the technical conduct of the child-sexual-abuse medical examination. (DB)

Summarizes highlights of a discussion by 13 leaders in the field of child sexual abuse concerning normal anogenital anatomy in relation to medical evaluation for child sexual abuse. (DB)

Examines issues concerning triage and referrals for medical child-sexual-abuse examinations from the sociolegal system. Research recommendations are offered in the areas of structure of care, process of care, and outcomes for evaluation. (DB)

Discusses the importance of research on the emotional impact of the medical examination for child sexual abuse. Summarizes current research; identifies unanswered questions; and proposes a research agenda to investigate effects of pre-existing factors, medical setting and emotional response, targeting positive and negative outcomes, and emotional…

Addresses three issues: (1) how children respond to the medical evaluation for sexual abuse; (2) how the trauma of the evaluation experienced by some children can be minimized and the benefits maximized; and (3) how children's responses to the medical evaluation for sexual abuse can be interpreted. (DB)

This commentary on a paper (EC 619 276) about the transmissiblity of sexually transmitted diseases in sexually abused children discusses two issues: (1) determining if a child is infected with a sexually transmitted disease (STD) agent; and (2) determining if the child's STD was acquired from the mother before or during the birth process through…

This paper identifies some issues regarding the conduct and documentation of the child-sexual-abuse medical examination and urges studies of the benefits of colposcopy with video, versus digital, versus 35 mm photography, in providing accurate documentation of abuse and determination of the overall utility of the colposcope. (DB)