• Clothing
  If you're wearing the same clothes you wore during or after the assault these items must be taken as evidence. Sometimes even shoes are gathered Tampons or sanitary pads may also be kept for evidence if you are wearing them. You'll be given clean clothes id new underwear to wear home if you didn't bring any with you.
• Hair Samples
  The nurse or physician will collect hair combings from your head and pubic region. Twenty-five full-length hairs from different parts of your scalp and 25 from your pubic area must be pulled out to help distinguish your own hair from that of the assailant. If you'd rather pull out the hair samples yourself, the clinician and nurse should allow you to do so. Semen found on your pubic hair can be wiped with a moistened cotton swab, rather than clipping your hair.
• If There Was Oral Sex
  In order to collect moisture for evidence, the clinician will swab your lips and the inside of your mouth and then collect a mouth rinse.
• Vaginal Assault and/or Anal Contact
  Swabs moistened with distilled water are used to wipe your inner thighs and external genitalia. Female survivors have a pelvic exam to collect other samples of evidence and to test for sexually transmitted diseases. For both females and males who were assaulted anally, additional swabs are used to collect evidence of sexual assault in the anal area.
  Blood samples
  After the physical exam, the nurse will draw a blood sample from your arm to determine your blood type, to screen for syphilis, and to do a serum pregnancy test. A baseline HIV antibody test can be done at your request.
• Toxicology Blood/Urine Screen
  If you or an accompanying person, (such as family member, friend, or police officer), state that you were drugged by the assailant, screening tests may be done, including testing for alcohol. Likewise if the clinician feels your medical condition appears to warrant screening to provide you with optimal care, it will be done. You have the right to refuse this, as with all procedures.

All screening tests done immediately after an assault are to document your state of health before the assault or for preexisting conditions. This is why follow-up medical appointments are necessary for retesting 4-6 weeks after the assault. The follow-up tests will indicate pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases. HIV antibody tests may not give reliable results until 3 to 6 months after the assault. It's best to have an HIV test done where follow-up counseling is available. Free and anonymous HIV antibody tests are available through the Health Department or Student Health. Again, your consent is needed before any of these tests are performed.

Evidence collected in a hospital may be released to a law enforcement officer only with your written consent or if an authorized third party does so on your behalf. Remember, release of evidence does not require you to prosecute. Again, if you are unsure about prosecuting, the hospital can store your collected evidence in a locked, refrigerated area for a short period of time.

If you decide not to release evidence, you may be charged with costs involved in the collection of evidence.