A new parliamentary report warns some young people are turning up to hospital with injuries after violent sex but do not realise they may have been sexually assaulted.
By Penny Smith of RNZ
The issue was raised in a report by the Justice Committee, reviewing the work of the Executive Board for the Elimination of Family Violence and Sexual Violence.
The committee said it had been told there can be a "fine line" between rough sex and sexual assault and that some young people were presenting to accident and emergency departments rather than specialist sexual assault services.
In some cases, the patients did not consider what happened to them to be rape or sexual assault.
The report said changing sexual norms, particularly among young people, were a growing concern.
Committee members were told practices such as choking and strangulation were becoming more common during sex.
However, the report warned those acts could have serious health effects.
"These practices can have severe health consequences, such as brain injury and PTSD," the report said.
It also noted evidence shows strangulation and choking could be warning signs of future, lethal violence.
The committee heard one response could be better training for hospital staff.
The board said educating emergency department workers about the signs of sexual assault would help them identify cases that might otherwise be missed and refer patients to the right services.
New sexual violence capability frameworks are expected to be published next year to help health professionals recognise more nuanced signs of sexual assault.
Officials also wanted stronger education for young people about the potential harms of rough sex.
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