Vaginal tearing can occur in rape victims because those two things will not occur. This is consistent with the fact that more injuries result from sexual assault than from consensual intercourse. An inability to produce adequate vaginal lubrication and dilatation is thought to be an underlying cause of severe tears in the upper area of the vagina. Types of vaginal trauma
Intercourse-related lacerations can range from superficial tears to more severe lacerations, tears rarely extend into the rectal lumen and the peritoneal cavity. Recto-vaginal injuries are usually a result of assault with a foreign object, rape, or accidental gynecologic injury. Injuries of this severity that resulted from consensual sex are very rare. Posterior and right vaginal fornix lacerations have been known to occur during consensual vaginal intercourse. The location of these lacerations is usually based on a womans reproductive anatomy. It is common for women to have a uterus that lies slightly to the right, this exposes the right fornix and makes it easier for some type of tearing or trauma to occur. Lacerations to the posterior peri-cervical vagina tend to occur in the missionary position, hips and legs hyperflexed. Other positions can also expose the posterior vaginal wall that usually protected by the cervix, this allows for posterior fornix tears. Tears in the upper area of the vagina are more often reported in consensual intercourse than forced intercourse. Complications from severe vaginal lacerations, such as from an assault, can include hemoperitoneum, pneumoperitoneum, and retroperitoneal hematoma with or without vaginal perforation.
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.