Assisting and advising complainants of sexual assault in the family planning setting.

127 Introduction The latest Home Office crime statistics reveal that in the 12 months to March 2001 there were 5.2 million crimes recorded in England and Wales. During this period there were 37 299 recorded sexual offences, 21% higher than in 1995–1996.1 Further analysis of the sexual offences data reveals that there were 7929 recorded rapes of a female within the 12 months ending March 2001; this represented a 1.5% rise compared to the previous year. It is likely that these figures represent only a small fraction of the sexual offences that actually take place. This review will examine how women who have been sexually assaulted may present to health care professionals working in primary care, family planning and genitourinary clinics, and discusses the management options that are available for such clients. How to use a FACT