Sexual Assault and HIV Transmission (From AIDS: The Impact on the Criminal Justice System, P 73-77, 1990, Mark Blumberg, ed. -- See NCJ-122746)

• NCJ Number: 122750
• Date Published: 1990
• Length: 5 pages
• Corporate Author: Presidential Cmssn on the Human Immunodeficiency Virus Epidemic
• Sale Source: Merrill Publishing Co
• Publication Type: Conference Material
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Reprinted from Report of the Presidential Commission on the HIV Epidemic, Chapter 9, Section V June 24, 1988

Annotation

Victims of sexual assault deserve attention and support so that they will not be forgotten in the efforts to address other issues related to the HIV epidemic.

Abstract

Thus, an approach is needed that recognizes both the emotional impact of an assault and the possible exposure to HIV and that balances the rights of victims to be treated with fairness and dignity with the due process rights of the perpetrators. The risk level for HIV transmission to sexual assault victims has not been established. However, the physical trauma associated with sexual assault increases the vulnerability of body tissue. Several factors hinder efforts to assist victims in relation to the possible exposure to HIV. Thus, efforts are needed to improve monitoring and data collection, testing and counseling for victims, testing of offenders, provision of offenders' test results to victims, and approaches used by the criminal justice system for sexual offenders. List of 20 specific recommendations.