CONTENT WARNING: THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE CONTAINS REFERENCES TO SEXUAL VIOLENCE.
Throughout all of October, The RSVP Center has collected items for the University Hospital SANE Clinic. The SANE Clinic is dedicated to providing medical attention to people immediately following a sexual assault. The clinic can administer a sexual assault forensic exam, informally known as a “rape kit.”
This is the last week of October, A.K.A. Domestic Violence Awareness month, and Her Campus Mizzou is encouraging students to donate what they can to the center. After a rape kit, victims can choose to throw away their clothing or keep them as evidence. The victims need fresh clothing afterward. Gently-used clothing won’t be accepted, but new and unused items are welcome.
A short list of what The RSVP Center wants can be found below on their Instagram, @mizzoursvpcenter.
“This month we’ve been getting an increasing amount of requests from student organizations that are asking us to help them develop responsive efforts to sexual assault on campus,” Patrick Skrivan, RSVP Education and Prevention Coordinator, said. “We’re being brought into important conversations and more people are trying to get involved with our center.”
If you or someone you know has experienced sexual assault and is considering a forensic exam, here is what to do, according to the SANE Clinic:
- “Do not urinate if possible. If there is concern about a drug-facilitated sexual assault, the first available urine will be collected at the clinic or emergency department.
- Do not eat or drink.
- Do not bathe or brush your teeth.
- Do not smoke.
- Bring clothes worn at the time of assault and immediately after assault, especially undergarments. Don’t wash the clothes and store them in a paper bag, if possible. (plastic bags prevent circulation and can destroy evidence)
- Bring a change of clothing.
- Bring a support person.”
If you or a loved one is in need of sexual assault counseling, you can call RAINN at (800)-656-4673 to access these resources.