The University Health Center is now able to examine men and women who have been sexually assaulted and can collect evidence to be used in prosecution.
In the past, students who were sexually assaulted could receive a follow-up medical exam, sexually transmitted-infections screening and emergency contraception from the Health Center, but they would have to go to the hospital emergency room to have evidence collected.
Now, Health Center nurses with specialized training and clinical experience in assault examinations can collect evidence after a sexual assault.
The Health Center’s Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners give students the option of having evidence collected in an environment where they feel more comfortable, said Cindy Smith, a SANE certified nurse practitioner.
Smith is currently the only nurse certified to perform the exams, but two more nurse practitioners at the Health Center will soon be able to perform them, Health Center Director Tom Ryan said.
A typical exam in which evidence is collected may last about two hours, Smith said. The exam may include collecting DNA by using swabs, documenting injuries or bruises, collecting a urine sample or preserving clothing worn during the assault.
All collected evidence will be kept in a locked refrigerator or closet until submitted to police, Smith said.
“Students can report to law enforcement, but at our level, the goal is to give students the option and not lose evidence,” she said.
If evidence is collected during the exam, students do not have to report to police right away, Smith said. Also, students don’t have to press charges to give a report.
The program is funded by the state’s Sexual Assault Victims’ Emergency Medical Response Fund, which will pay for the exam regardless of whether the patient wants to press criminal charges, Smith said.
Evidence can be collected for up to 84 hours after an assault, but certain evidence, such as traces of drugs in urine, will diminish sooner, she said.
After an assault, Smith said, students should not urinate, eat, drink, smoke, bathe or brush their teeth. Smith recommends assault victims bring clothing worn during the assault and a friend for support.
Smith has been working to receive certification for two years. During her training, she watched court cases, rode with Eugene police officers and observed similar exams in the emergency room.
Smith said her schedule will be cleared so she can see a sexual assault survivor as soon as possible, but she will only be able to perform the exams during the day.
“If it’s the middle of the night and they need to be seen, they should go to the emergency room,” she said.
One in six Oregon women has been raped, and more than 22,000 women in Lane County have experienced rape, according to a 2003 study by the National Violence Against Women Prevention Research Center.
The SANE program was created in response to Oregon Attorney General Hardy Myers’ Sexual Assault Task Force, which includes law enforcement, sexual assault survivors, counselors and forensic nurses.

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