Sexual Assault Services of Northwest New Mexico has launched an in-house Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner program in Gallup, giving survivors access to specialized medical and forensic care without having to leave the community.The new program allows survivors to receive trauma-informed care in a safe, supportive setting, a major shift for Gallup-area residents who previously had to travel to Albuquerque, Farmington, or parts of Arizona for an exam.“It’s a pretty big deal,” said Lacey Guinn, associate director for Sexual Assault Services of Northwest New Mexico. “This is something that this community has been asking for quite some time.”A SANE exam is a medical forensic exam performed by specially trained nurses. Depending on a survivor’s choices, the exam can include injury documentation, evidence collection, testing for sexually transmitted infections, preventive medication and emergency contraception. Guinn said the process is centered on the survivor.“It’s really just focused on survivors’ health, their safety, and allowing them and giving them the chance to have choices again,” Guinn said.In most adult cases, survivors do not have to report to law enforcement to receive an exam. Guinn said evidence can still be collected and stored if a survivor wants time to decide whether to move forward with a report later.Before the Gallup program launched, the lack of local access created major barriers to care. According to Guinn, some survivors chose not to seek care at all because of the travel, leaving them without medical treatment, advocacy or other support services. Guinn said the role goes beyond collecting evidence.“It’s about them understanding trauma and understanding how to care for these survivors who are in a very vulnerable and sensitive moment,” she said.In addition to exams, Sexual Assault Services of Northwest New Mexico offers advocacy and free therapy for primary and secondary survivors, including family members affected by the trauma. Advocates can accompany survivors to medical appointments, legal proceedings, and law enforcement interviews, depending on their needs.Guinn said the message to survivors is simple: “We see them, we hear them, we believe them, and they deserve this.”To access care, visit their website: www.sasnwnm.org.
Sexual Assault Services of Northwest New Mexico has launched an in-house Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner program in Gallup, giving survivors access to specialized medical and forensic care without having to leave the community.
The new program allows survivors to receive trauma-informed care in a safe, supportive setting, a major shift for Gallup-area residents who previously had to travel to Albuquerque, Farmington, or parts of Arizona for an exam.
“It’s a pretty big deal,” said Lacey Guinn, associate director for Sexual Assault Services of Northwest New Mexico. “This is something that this community has been asking for quite some time.”
A SANE exam is a medical forensic exam performed by specially trained nurses. Depending on a survivor’s choices, the exam can include injury documentation, evidence collection, testing for sexually transmitted infections, preventive medication and emergency contraception. Guinn said the process is centered on the survivor.
“It’s really just focused on survivors’ health, their safety, and allowing them and giving them the chance to have choices again,” Guinn said.
In most adult cases, survivors do not have to report to law enforcement to receive an exam. Guinn said evidence can still be collected and stored if a survivor wants time to decide whether to move forward with a report later.
Before the Gallup program launched, the lack of local access created major barriers to care. According to Guinn, some survivors chose not to seek care at all because of the travel, leaving them without medical treatment, advocacy or other support services. Guinn said the role goes beyond collecting evidence.
“It’s about them understanding trauma and understanding how to care for these survivors who are in a very vulnerable and sensitive moment,” she said.
In addition to exams, Sexual Assault Services of Northwest New Mexico offers advocacy and free therapy for primary and secondary survivors, including family members affected by the trauma. Advocates can accompany survivors to medical appointments, legal proceedings, and law enforcement interviews, depending on their needs.
Guinn said the message to survivors is simple: “We see them, we hear them, we believe them, and they deserve this.”
To access care, visit their website: www.sasnwnm.org.
