Information about New Mexico Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) Programs

General Guidelines

  • Medical stability always takes priority over the sexual assault exam.
  • The SANE response may include documentation of injuries from the assault, collection of forensic evidence, and medical treatment for emergency contraception and sexually transmitted infections.
  • A sexual assault exam should be done within 5 days of the assault for the medical response, forensic documentation, and collection of evidence. Generally, the sooner the exam is done, the better.
  • The SANE needs informed consent from the sexual assault survivor. The sexual assault patient must be able to understand, agree, and sign for the exam.
  • SANE nurses are on-call. They are not physically on-site. To dispatch a SANE nurse, call the telephone number of your nearest SANE unit.
  • The SANE nurse would like to speak directly with the patient. If this is not possible, the SANE will ask about the patient’s medical stability, ability to give informed consent, special needs, and will schedule a time and place to meet the patient.
  • Encourage the patient to bring the clothes they were wearing when they were assaulted. 
  • If the assault was recent, discourage the patient from eating, drinking, or showering – depending upon the nature of the assault
  • SANE programs are equipped to do only one sexual assault exam at a time. Each exam can take 2 to 4 hours and some exams take much longer.
  • SANE programs are based on patient consent: at each step of the sexual assault exam, the SANE nurse allows the patient to decide whether to proceed or not.
  • A sexual assault patient does not need to file a police report to receive SANE services
  • There is no cost to the sexual assault patient for services provided by SANE.

 

New Mexico SANE Programs

    Albuquerque SANE Collaborative 
    Telephone: 505-883-8720  OR 505-884-7263

    Santa Fe – St. Vincent Hospital SANE Program
    Telephone: 505-995-4999 OR 505-989-5952

    Roswell Esperanza House SANE Project 
    Telephone: 505-625-1457

    Las Cruces La Pinon SANE Project 
    Telephone: 505-526-3437 OR 888-595-7273

    Clovis SANE   
    Telephone: 505-769-7335

    Farmington SANE   
    Telephone: 505-326-4700 OR 505-325-2805

    Cibola General Hospital SANE Unit 
    Telephone: 505-287-5260

    Roosevelt County SANE Project 
    Telephone: 505-359-1800