What Is a SANE Exam?
Our SANE Exam Trifold was created to help children, teens, caregivers, and supportive adults better understand what to expect during a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) medical exam. This free educational resource explains the purpose of a SANE exam, what happens during the visit, the role of SANE nurses, and the rights every patient has throughout the process.
Medical exams after abuse, assault, or unwanted sexual contact can feel overwhelming and scary – especially for children and teens. This trifold was designed using calm, supportive, trauma-informed language to reduce fear, answer common questions, and help families feel more prepared.
Whether you are a parent, caregiver, advocate, educator, social worker, or healthcare professional, this brochure can be used to support conversations about safety, medical care, consent, and emotional support following trauma.
This educational brochure helps explain what a SANE exam is, what may happen during the medical visit, the role of the SANE nurse, patient rights and bodily autonomy, comfort measures available during the exam, common fears and misconceptions, trauma-informed medical care practices, and ways caregivers can support children and teens throughout the process. The trifold emphasizes that patients are always in control of their bodies and that nothing should ever be forced during the exam process.
Who This Resource Is For This resource was created for:
- Parents and caregivers
- Children and teens
- Youth-serving professionals
- Child advocacy centers
- Social workers and case managers
- Victim advocates
- Schools and educators
- Healthcare providers
- Community organizations
The brochure can be distributed in clinics, advocacy centers, schools, hospitals, counseling offices, crisis response programs, and community outreach events.
Trauma-Informed and Youth-Friendly
The SANE Exam Trifold was intentionally designed to be approachable, supportive, and easy to understand for young people and families. The language avoids medical jargon whenever possible and reinforces key messages around safety, consent, comfort, and choice.
Topics include:
- Understanding that patients can ask questions at any time
- Knowing they can pause or stop the exam
- Explaining that nothing should be painful
- Helping reduce anxiety about medical procedures
- Encouraging supportive caregiver involvement
- Normalizing emotional reactions after trauma
This resource can help reduce fear and uncertainty surrounding forensic medical exams while promoting dignity and empowerment.
Now Available in English and Spanish
To better serve diverse communities, our Internet Safety Trifold Brochure is now available in both English and Spanish. We believe every family deserves access to information that helps protect children from online exploitation, grooming, and other digital risks, regardless of the language they speak at home.
Whether you are a parent, foster parent, kinship caregiver, educator, social worker, or community organization, these brochures can be used as educational handouts, event resources, training materials, or conversation starters.
Download your preferred version below and share it with others in your community.
Together, we can empower children, strengthen families, and create safer online spaces for everyone.
Free Educational Resource
This trifold is available as a free educational resource for non-commercial use to support awareness, prevention, and survivor-centered care.
We encourage organizations, schools, advocacy programs, healthcare providers, and community partners to share this resource to help children, teens, and caregivers better understand the SANE exam process.
About the Resource
This resource was developed in partnership with Natalie Kiyoko Evenson, MSN, BSW, RN, SANE-A, SANE-P, IVSE-C and Nathan LaChine from Evergreen Caregiver Support.
The brochure was created for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
Training & Educational Support
Looking for additional training or educational support related to trauma-informed care, online exploitation prevention, sextortion awareness, child abuse prevention, or caregiver education?
Evergreen Caregiver Support offers customized training, consulting, and educational resources for schools, organizations, healthcare providers, and community agencies.
To learn more or request training and consulting services, please complete the Training & Consulting Inquiry Form.
Download the Trifold
Use this free printable SANE Exam Trifold to help children, teens, caregivers, and supportive adults better understand what to expect during a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) medical exam. This educational resource was created to support trauma-informed conversations about medical care, bodily autonomy, patient rights, safety, and emotional support following abuse or assault. The trifold may be shared in its original, unaltered form for educational and non-commercial purposes.
Descargar el tríptico
Use este tríptico imprimible y gratuito sobre el examen SANE para ayudar a niños, adolescentes, cuidadores y adultos de apoyo a comprender mejor qué esperar durante un examen médico a cargo de una Enfermera Examinadora de Agresión Sexual (SANE, por sus siglas en inglés). Este recurso educativo fue creado para apoyar conversaciones con perspectiva de trauma sobre la atención médica, la autonomía corporal, los derechos del paciente, la seguridad y el apoyo emocional después de un abuso o agresión. El tríptico puede compartirse en su forma original inalterada para fines educativos y no comerciales.
