ABSTRACT
Medical examination may play an important role in the evaluation of suspected sexual abuse, but it provides conclusive evidence in less than 30% of cases. Examinations may be normal for a variety of reasons, and these need to be understood by the professionals from all the disciplines involved in the assessment of abuse allegations. Research on the delineation of genital and anal findings in nonabused children, and on children with proven abuse, continues to provide additional information to clinicians in this field.
