Tears along the long axis of the vagina or the posterior fourchette lacerations are more likely to occur from rape. Lacerations or tears of the hymen are common but are not indicative of consensual or non-consensual intercourse. Treatment of vaginal trauma
Diagnosing and treating vaginal trauma can often be difficult and delayed due to the sensitive and personal nature of these types of injuries; this also may be enhanced if the patient is young in age. The repair of most genital injuries require suture and the bleeding from the area is usually minimal. The bleeding that results from extreme vaginal tears can be copious, leading to hemorrhagic shock, and the patient may need a blood transfusion. Treatment of these lacerations could warrant surgical repair. Vulvar trauma
Vulvar trauma is more common in prepubertal children due to small labial fat pads and more physical activity. Adults are more protected. Though some injuries are serious, most are accidental minor blunt traumas. The most common type of injury is a straddle injury, which can be incurred through normal activities like bicycle riding. Due to the vascularity of the vulva, it may form a large hematoma when injured. The vulva can also be injured through sexual assault. Vulvar trauma can occur concurrently with vaginal trauma, especially if a sharp object is involved. Vaginal trauma
Vaginal trauma can occur when something is inserted into the vagina, for example, a sharp object, causing penetrating trauma. Vaginal trauma can occur as a result as an initial painful sexual experience or sexual abuse.
Genital trauma is trauma to the genitalia. History of studying genital trauma
Doctors and nurses have been conducting sexual assault examinations and have been collecting evidence for victims of assault for 20 years. But the amount of scientific data collected on genital injuries post-sexual assault are still minimal. Therefore, there is no available evidence to show specific patterns of injury resulting from sexual assault. The motivation for investigating and collecting data on genital injuries has primarily been within the context of the legal system, such as proving or disproving sexual assault, rather than for medical purposes. The studies that have been done in the past 25 years in relation to sexual assault cases in the judicial system has laid the groundwork for interpreting sexual assault injuries. It is important for there to research on genital injuries more broadly relating to sexual activity (and not just sexual assault) to improve medical knowledge on the subject. Methods of studying and documenting genital injury has greatly improved through the use of tissue staining dyes and colposcopy. The first studies that used newer methods were retrospective chart reviews done in a hospital by a doctor or nurse. These studies used several different methods to identify and document injuries, such as direct visualization, colposcopy, and/or tissue staining dyes. Earlier studies only used direct visualization for their data.