Characteristics of sexual assaults in which adult victims report penetration by a foreign object

This retrospective clinical audit reviews cases of adult sexual assault where the victim alleges that they were penetrated with a foreign object. These assaults were more likely to have positive genital and non-genital findings recorded by the clinician compared to assaults where no object was used. There is a suggestion that these assaults may be more violent with multiple assailants more common and an association with more use of threats and weapons. It is important to ask about the penetrative use of foreign objects in a sexual assault history and for clinicians to be aware of the greater possibility of injury in these cases.