by Macy Puckett
This project is about systems and survivors. There is little to no information about Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) exams on campus websites, and if they are included, many direct students (inaccurately) straight to the hospital.
The purpose of SART exams is to conduct a forensic examination and gather evidence for a future case, as well as provide additional medical care. Given the nature of these exams, they rest on the intersection of legal and medical institutions as the police and hospitals. With the systematic nature of these exams, women of color are disproportionately more likely to experience shaming, discrediting, disbelief, biases, or refusal of care. An abundance of research suggests that women of color are more likely to experience interpersonal violence, but less likely to access care. Despite the exams being free, socioeconomic factors play a huge role in accessing this care, such as limiting transportation access, being able to take time off work, and finding childcare. When interacting with law enforcement prior to or after the exams, narratives reveal patterns of women often being turned away from medical services due to misconceptions about what a “real” assault looks like. Information is the first step for access.
Knowing who performs these exams, and how they are performed, matters. I interviewed a SANE nurse and Project Sister advocate to understand what these exams look like in the inland empire. Nurse Jennifer Rivera and Advocate Gabriela de la Rosa talked through how an exam begins, what takes place before and after, where it takes place, what it consists of, and what happens after. Gabriela talks through her role as an advocate during the exam, making sure she clarifies how the advocate can be there for the survivor in the room. I urge viewers to notice the role of law enforcement in these exams, and think about the barriers that exist for those often disadvantaged by systems that historically neglect those at their most vulnerable.
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