Case history
Case history #1
An 8-year-old girl presents to the emergency department with her aunt and mother. The patient lives with her mother, her mother's boyfriend, and her 18-month-old brother. The patient’s mother says her daughter has recently become more defiant and emotionally labile, and her school performance has deteriorated. The patient's mother works evenings while her boyfriend takes care of the children. The aunt reports that the child disclosed that she was touched by her mother's boyfriend in her 'private parts' and he told her not to tell anyone or she would get into big trouble. The child's mother states that the child has a history of 'telling tales' and must be lying. The child's aunt has insisted that the mother bring the child in for an examination.
Case history #2
A 20-year-old woman attends the emergency department asking for emergency contraception. She says that the night before, she accepted a lift home from a new acquaintance after an evening out. She had consumed several alcoholic drinks. When they reached her home the man walked her to her door, and after she opened it, he pushed his way inside, forced her into the bedroom, and raped her. She says that she did not agree to intercourse, but she is worried that no one will believe that she did not consent.
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