Intra- and inter-rater agreement of the Genital Injury Severity Scale.

Introduction: The Genital Injury Severity Scale (GISS) is a clinimetrically-tested tool in use for quantifying and qualifying external genital injury after sexual intercourse.

Purpose: To evaluate inter- and intra-rater agreement of the GISS amongst examiner/raters in an urban, ethnically diverse, emergency department based sexual assault center.

Methods: The study was conducted in three phases.

Derivation of the Genital Injury Severity Scale (GISS): a concise instrument for description and measurement of external female genital injury after sexual intercourse.

Introduction: Inconsistencies abound in the current forensic literature regarding the definition, and as a result, the significance of female genital injury after sexual intercourse. These definitions are based on variables related to the anatomic locations that are examined, the actual physical findings types, and the methods used to detect the findings.

Purpose: To derive and perform initial clinimetric analyses on a simple instrument that defines, and based on severity, quantifies external genital injury after sexual intercourse.

A pilot study to test the differential validity of a genital injury severity scale, in development for use in forensic sexual assault examinations.

Methods of examining the sexual assault patient are not standardized and a definition of what constitutes significant genital injury after sexual assault (SA) remains controversial. This pilot study tests the empirical validity (initial differential validity) of a genital injury severity scale (GISS) under development by the authors with the hypothesis that women who report SA have more severe external genital injuries than those who engage in consensual intercourse (CI). In this observational, prospective study, an initially developed GISS is applied and the exam results of 59 CI volunteers and 185 SA patients are compared.