How we can help – support from SHAC
At SHAC we offer a comprehensive sexual assault service offering health care and advice. We offer:
- Testing for sexually transmitted infections. On most occasions this can be done without an examination, if you have no symptoms, and is a quick and easy process. Testing can give peace of mind after an assault and help you to take back control. We recommend testing at 2 weeks after a risk for bacterial infections such as chlamydia and gonorrhoea, and at 3 months for blood borne viruses.
- Emergency contraception, pregnancy testing and on-going contraception.
- PEP (Post Exposure Prophylaxis) for anyone who may have had a risk of being exposed to HIV. This is a course of tablets that if started within 72 hours (3 days) of a risk can prevent HIV transmission.
- Vaccinations for hepatitis B. This is a course of 4 small injections that protects against hepatitis B infection and can give peace of mind.
If you would like an appointment or have questions, please call the health advisers on 01273 523 388 opt 2. We also have a designated clinic on Tuesday mornings called the Solar Clinic which offers a full range of health care and support options following sexual assault and the opportunity to speak directly with a worker from Survivors Network, link in with their services, and get some practical tips and advice.
If the assault happened recently
You may want to contact a Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) as soon as possible.
SARCs provide specialist medical care and can carry out a forensic examination if you would like one. This can help collect evidence, even if you are unsure about reporting to the police. You do not need to speak to the police to attend a SARC, and any evidence collected can be stored while you decide what you would like to do.
If you think you may want a forensic examination, and feel able to, you could try to:
- avoid washing, showering or bathing
- avoid brushing your teeth
- avoid eating or drinking
- keep the clothes you were wearing at the time in a bag
This may help preserve forensic evidence if you choose to have an examination, but you can still attend a SARC even if you have already done any of these things.
Emergency contraception may be effective for up to 5 days (120 hours) after an assault, and HIV post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) is available if started within 72 hours.
SARCs are available 24 hours a day and you can contact them yourself to arrange an appointment.
Visiting a sexual assault referral centre (SARC)
The SARC for Brighton and Hove and Sussex is The Saturn Centre in Crawley. They can be contacted on 01293 600469.
If you are not in Sussex you can use the NHS Service finder to find your nearest SARC.
At the SARC you can have a forensic medical examination. This is often most useful within 7 days, but you can still contact a SARC after this time for medical care and support. You will not be pressured into reporting to the police and they can store the results of any forensic examination (or evidence) until you make up your mind whether to report to the police or not. Clinical staff at SARCs are specially trained and experienced professionals who can give you sensitive medical help and advice.
They can also support you through the immediate trauma. This video explains how they can help:
Reporting to the Police
If you would like to report to the Police you can do this in a number of different ways:
- You can call them on 999
- You can go to your local police station. To find your local station call 101, or if you are in Sussex visit the Sussex Police website.
- You can report to the police anonymously. This is called Third Party Reporting, and our local support service Survivors’ Network can pass information to the police without giving any details which could identify you. This helps them to see if there are serial offenders.