OBJECTIVE: Our goal was to identify vulvar and hymenal characteristics associated with sexual abuse among female children between the ages of 3 and 8 years. STUDY DESIGN: Using a case-control study design, we examined and photographed the external genitalia of 192 prepubertal children with a history of penetration and 200 children who denied prior abuse. Bivariate analyses were conducted by X2, the Fisher exact test, and the Student t test to assess differences in vulvar and hymenal features between groups. RESULTS: Vaginal discharge was observed more frequently in abused children (P = .01). No difference was noted in the percentage of abused versus nonabused children with labial agglutination, increased vascularity, linea vestibularis, friability, a perineal depression, or a hymenal bump, tag, longitudinal intravaginal ridge, external ridge, band, or superficial notch. Furthermore, the mean number of each of these features per child did not differ between groups. A hymenal transection, perforation, or deep notch was observed in 4 children, all of whom were abused. CONCLUSION: The genital examination of the abused child rarely differs from that of the nonabused child. Thus legal experts should focus on the child’s history as the primary evidence of abuse. © 2000 Elsevier Science B.V.
CITATION STYLE
Berenson, A. B., Chacko, M. R., Wiemann, C. M., Mishaw, C. O., Friedrich, W. N., & Grady, J. J. (2000). A case-control study of anatomic changes resulting from sexual abuse. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 182(4), 820–834. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0002-9378(00)70331-0
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