Medical Assistance

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Students have a couple of different confidential options when looking to obtain medical treatment. Going to the hospital does not mean that you have to make a report to the police. That is your choice. There is also no cost for a forensic examination and no bill should be generated. You may come to Health Services or you may go to any hospital you choose. If you think you were drugged or consumed a sedative-like substance, visit the closest emergency room immediately as well as ask the medical provider to take a urine sample. If you need to be transferred from Health Services to another emergency care site, EMS can transport you.

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On Campus

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At TCNJ Student Health Services, a nurse practitioner can perform a physical exam to check for injuries, perform STI and HIV testing and provide emergency contraception and treatment. You can call their office at 609-771-2889 to schedule an appointment.

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Off Campus

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Local hospitals can also provide services to address physical injuries, including medical evidence collection. In the event of a sexual assault, hospital staff can help students start the Sexual Assault Response Team Activation Process. An advocate from Womanspace will be deployed to the hospital to help you through the process and talk about your options. Medical evidence collection is conducted by a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) and can be useful if you decide to pursue criminal charges against the offender within 5 years. It needs to be done within 5 DAYS of the incident. For further information about preserving evidence visit our Preserving Evidence page.

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Hospital Care

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At the hospital, you will be asked questions about your general health. If you are female, you will be asked about your menstrual history and your use of contraception. You will also be asked specific questions about the assault. It may be difficult to recall some of the details, and it may be emotionally painful to talk about what happened. Medical providers ask specific questions to find out what to look for when they examine you. The information you give helps them conduct a thorough physical evaluation.

Then you will have a general physical exam and if you are female, a pelvic exam. The clinician will check for external and internal injuries and test for any sexually transmitted infections. You may be given antibiotics to prevent infection. For females, a pregnancy test will be done and you will be given emergency contraceptive pills to prevent unintended pregnancy.  (Emergency contraception is also available at Student Health Services. Students can purchase it from the Student Health Services receptionist and have the option of seeing a nurse or not. It is also available without a prescription at local pharmacies.)

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There are many resources that you can utilize as a member of the TCNJ community if you are a victim of sexual assault or dating/domestic violence. Below are the on-campus and off-campus resources:

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For more information on each of these resources please visit: http://oavi.tcnj.edu/tools-for-everyone/relatedlinks/sexual-assault/