ABSTRACT
Sexual abuse is recognized both in state- and nationwide definitions of child maltreatment. In the United States, some states refer in general terms to sexual abuse, while others specify various acts as abusive in nature. There are many types of sexual violence, including child sexual abuse and sexual assault. As in a multitude of other pediatric and adolescent diagnoses, the first step to the diagnosis of child sexual abuse is being aware of and acknowledging the problem that patients face. The overwhelming majority of children and adolescents with a history of sexual abuse present for an informed medical exam at a time remote from the event of their abuse. Adverse childhood experiences, among which sexual abuse figures largely, have consistently been linked with poor mental and physical health in adulthood. Pregnancy or the detection of sperm/semen is diagnostic of sexual contact.
