How to Get Help

Options for Students Who Have Been Sexually Assaulted

Any student who is sexually assaulted is strongly encouraged to seek help either from resources available through the College or from outside sources. The following is a short list of options available to students seeking help at Bryn Mawr. More detailed information about each option is provided below. You may:

  • Contact the Bryn Mawr College Health and Wellness Center (610-526-7360) to receive medical care, speak to a counselor, and/or discuss other options. Conversations with Health and Wellness Center and Counseling staff are confidential no individual details or reports may be shared without your written consent.
  • Go to Bryn Mawr Hospital (130 South Bryn Mawr Avenue, Bryn Mawr, PA 19010) to receive a medical examination, which is admissible in court as evidence of an assault.
  • Call Bryn Mawr College Campus Safety (x7911, 911 in emergencies) to arrange for transportation to the Health and Wellness Center or to Bryn Mawr Hospital, and/or to report that a sexual assault has taken place.
  • Contact the Bi-Co Title IX Coordinator, Kimberly Taylor: titleix_coordinator@brynmawr.edu or 610-526-7863, to report that a sexual assault has taken place and to initiate the College’s investigation.
  • Contact your Dean (610-526-5375) or speak with your Hall Adviser (HA);  Deans, HAs, Athletics coaches and Dean's Office staff members are required to report incidents to the Title IX Coordinator.
  • Call Lower Merion Township Police (610-642-4200) to arrange transportation to Bryn Mawr Hospital, to report a sexual assault or to request emergency medical assistance.

Medical Care

You are strongly encouraged to receive medical care after an assault. Because sexual assault can be physically and emotionally traumatic, you may not know whether or not you have been injured. Medical personnel at the Health and Wellness Center or the hospital can answer questions you may have about health concerns. A follow-up exam is recommended to retest for pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), and to be sure that no other injuries were sustained during the assault.

The on-campus Health and Wellness Center is able to counsel you on your options for medical care after an assault. An examination done at the Health and Wellness Center is not the same as a rape kit and is not admissible in court as evidence that an assault has taken place. If you think you may wish to press charges at any time, the Health and Wellness Center personnel will recommend that you go to Bryn Mawr Hospital, where medical evidence can be preserved for the police.

The Health and Wellness Center is able to check for internal injuries, test for pregnancy and STDs and provide someone with whom you can talk. The Health and Wellness Center can also provide information and testing for HIV (HIV testing at the Health and Wellness Center is confidential). The Health and Wellness Center can provide medication to help prevent STDs. In addition, emergency contraception is available to prevent pregnancy if you go to the Health and Wellness Center within 72 hours of the assault. The Health and Wellness Center will keep all information confidential; the assault will not be reported to the police, Campus Safety, parents or other College personnel without your permission. If it is determined that you or another member of the College community is in danger, necessary information will be released to the appropriate administrators and every effort will be made to protect your identity. The Health and Wellness Center can assist you in finding any medical or emotional support that you need, including counseling on- or off-campus.

Bryn Mawr Hospital is able to provide medical services that fulfill legal standards of evidence—a “rape- kit” examination. The rape-kit examination preserves medical evidence that can be used in court. Having a rape kit done does not require you to press charges. It merely gathers evidence should you wish to prosecute at some time. It is recommended that you do not shower, bathe, douche or change clothes if you want to preserve evidence. You may want to bring a change of clothes to the hospital in case your clothing is needed by the police. Bryn Mawr Hospital will test for pregnancy and STDs, offer medication to prevent STDs, and prescribe emergency contraception. The hospital is required to notify the police that a sexual assault may have occurred.