Genital findings in adult females: a forensic analysis of photographic records

Abstract Background In the investigation of sexual assault cases, a standard practice involves examining female genitalia to identify injuries. The majority of research was done to examine findings in the child age group, but very little research was done on the adult age group. There is a need for guidelines to follow for the interpretation of adult female findings as they hold the same significance as in children. The Dammam Forensic Medicine Center conducted a retrospective chart review study in the period from 2014 to 2021 to examine adult female genital findings utilizing photographic documentation. Results One hundred sixty-three cases involving adults between the ages of 18 and 52 were examined. Cases were divided into two groups to focus on hymenal findings that fell in the class of no expert consensus. The first group included self-defined virgins, who denied having ever experienced vaginal penetration in their entire lives, including the reported incidence, which represented 38 cases. The rest of the cases had at least a single incident of vaginal penetration. The normal genitourinary findings were found comparable to those in the child age group. All of the participants who showed notches or clefts, below the 3 o’clock or 9 o’clock location, which extends nearly to the base of the hymen, but is not a complete transection belonged to the group with a history of vaginal penetration. The three participants who showed a notch or a cleft in the hymen rim at 3 o’clock or 9 o’clock which extends nearly to the base of the hymen, but is not a complete transection belonged to the same group. Conclusions Findings that lack expert consensus in the child age group are likely the result of injury in the study participants. This result gives valuable information on genital findings in self-identified virgin adult females, which can be utilized in conjunction with other studies to establish standards for the assessment of cases of alleged sexual assault in adult females.