Victims of sexual violence also require urgent medical care that is suited to the type of violence they suffered. The response of healthcare providers should always be empathetic, judgement free and informative, so that victims receive quality care tailored to the sexual and reproductive health service required.
While national standards or guidelines regarding the provision of sexual and reproductive healthcare services can help improve the quality of healthcare provided and ensure that victims receive a sensitive response by trained and specialised staff, these were identified in only 12 Member States, according to questionnaire responses.
EIGE’s research „Women fleeing the war: Access to sexual and reproductive healthcare in the EU” highlights that only 13 Member States have established ‘rape crisis centres’, which are highly specialised facilities designed to provide holistic care for victims of sexual violence, according to questionnaire responses.