Equality for rape victims: developing pathways in Southwest Finland

Abstract Within the Hospital District of Southwest Finland, about one hundred rape victims arrive annually to the emergency units for sample taking and care. It is believed that the number of victims is manifold to that of the victims seeking examinations. The rape victim care chain was constructed by a multiprofessional task force, consisting of representatives of the specialized health care, the primary health care, the authorities, organizations, and the Lutheran Church. The aim was to guarantee all rape victims an equal mental survival and holistic health care, based on the most recent scientific data. As a result of the effort, uniform hospital district principles for care management were reached, for encountering patients, examinations, sample taking, and transorganizational care. The care chain is available on the internet to all actors in the area. The instructions have been centralized to one server, which facilitates their maintenance and use. Information on the care chain has also been published in public media for the benefit of the inhabitants, with the aim of encouraging victims to seek examinations and care, as well as to improve their judicial status in the light of criminal law.