Evaluatie van het hymen bij prepuberale meisjes bij het vermoeden van seksueel kindermisbruik

The diagnosis of sexual abuse in children bears important social and legal implications. The physical examination is an essential part in this process and may lead to an indication of sexual assault. Still, the interpretation of the ano-genital examination, especially of the hymen, remains complex and associated with common myths in both directions. Sometimes variants of normal anatomy are considered as posttraumatic injuries, and are reported as "suspicious for sexual abuse". On the other hand, normal genital findings cannot exclude sexual assault. Thus the findings of these examinations should always be evaluated, interpreted and reported with caution.