What to do if you are sexually assaulted
1. Report the incident to law enforcement.
Reporting an assault does not mean that you must press charges or take the case to criminal trial. Even if you have not decided to press charges, calling the police and going to the hospital will allow your medical needs to be cared for and will 
preserve the options to press charges at a later date.If you are the parent of a child believed to have been sexually assaulted, you must contact the police and/or Child Protective Services immediately regardless of who the offender is. Sexual assault of a child is not just a family problem and failure to report such crimes may cause serious legal repercussions to you as a parent in the future, including potential loss of custody of your child.
2. Preserve all physical evidence.
Do not bathe, shower, douche, use the toilet, brush your teeth, comb your hair, or change clothing, if it can be avoided. If you do change clothes, place each item of clothing in a separate paper bag and turn over to law enforcement immediately or bring with you to the hospital.
3. Get medical attention immediately.
Once you report the sexual assault to law enforcement, they will set up a forensic medical exam through our program at CHRISTUS Santa Rosa New Braunfels Hospital or other area hospitals. If law enforcement authorizes a forensic medical exam, they will cover the cost for the exam.
If you, as an adult victim, choose not to report the crime, you should still seek out medical treatment. The primary medical concerns are physical injury, sexually transmitted disease, and pregnancy. While you may be given a pregnancy test at the time of the exam, an accurate pregnancy test cannot be given for several weeks. A preventive pregnancy medication can be given at the time of the exam but is effective only if taken within 24 hours of the assault. Recently, preventative pregnancy medication has become available over the counter as well.
The secondary purpose of a medical examination is to collect evidence to aid in the police investigation and legal proceedings. There is physical evidence (such as the presence of DNA) that can only be obtained during a medical exam within 96 hours of the assault. If you decide at a later date that you would like to prosecute, the evidence will be available. However, please note that if you try to obtain a medical exam to collect evidence, failure to proceed through law enforcement and obtain a proper SANE exam could significantly affect the viability of any evidence collected. Many doctors and nurses are not trained to perform forensic exams and may not be aware of when to refer you to a forensic examiner. Further if you go to a medical facility without the involvement of the police, all expenses will be your responsibility.
Please note that you may qualify for Crime Victims’ Compensation for out of pocket expenses to assist with the costs of a SANE exam and other medical treatment expenses. For more information, please visit the DPS and Texas Attorney
General links below.
http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/administration/staff_support/victimservices/pages/index.htm
http://www.oag.state.tx.us/victims/about_comp.shtml
4. Seek out emotional support.
Even if you decide not to report the incident to the authorities, for your own well-being, you should seek assistance and emotional support. For adult victims of sexual assault, the Crisis Center of Comal County provides confidential counseling services.
Resources
Emergency – 911
New Braunfels Police – (830) 221-4100
Bulverde Police – (830) 885-4883 (ask for dispatch)
Garden Ridge Police – (210) 651-6441
Comal County Sheriff – (830) 620-3400
Crisis Center of Comal County – 1-800-434-8013 (24-hour crisis hotline)
Child Protective Services Hotline – 1-800-252-5400
