Preferred choice of gender of staff providing care to victims of sexual assault in Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARCs).

Background: A Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) is a model of service developed in the UK to provide immediate medical care, forensic and after care services for the victims of serious sexual assault. National guidelines recommend female medical staff for victims of serious sexual assault, although there has been few studies specifically undertaken to ask victims themselves about their choice of gender of staff in a SARC.

Objective: To collect feedback from victims about their preferences for staff gender within SARCs as a means of informing recruitment policy.