23 February 2008

who in health services ares about native american and alaska native women???

you want data i'll give you data: a native american or alaska native woman faces a 1 in 3 chance of being raped in her lifetime...and indian health service (ihs) facilities lack the personnel, training and standardized services necessary to treat survivors of sexual violence...

she can't think of one woman in her community who hasn't been raped...however, in her community, going for a doctor's visit can mean being subjected to yet another traumatic experience all over again...


a native american or alaska native woman faces a 1 in 3 chance of being raped in her lifetime...those odds mean that indigenous women are two and a half times more likely to be sexually assaulted than any other population in the united states...despite these staggering figures, indian health service facilities – the primary healthcare resource in these communities – lack the personnel, training and standardized services necessary to treat survivors of sexual violence...


when a woman is raped, treatment in the critical hours that follow can ensure:
  • safety: women who have experienced sexual violence require quality treatment administered by well-trained healthcare professionals to mitigate physical or mental trauma...
  • accountability: perpetrators of violence escape prosecution because vital evidence is lost by facilities not using specialized "rape kits"...according to our investigative reporting, about 44 percent of ihs facilities lack the trained personnel able to provide such examinations...
  • prevention: when appropriate measures are taken to protect survivors of sexual violence and hold perpetrators accountable, other women are less likely to become victims in the future...

while no woman is fully prepared to handle the effects of sexual violence, there is no excuse for a healthcare facility not to be...

tell the director of ihs to ensure that survivors of sexual violence receive proper treatment....

peace out <3

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