It happens in a sterile room. Usually, the lights are too bright, and the paper on the exam table crunches every time you move an inch. Most people only know about these from episodes of Law & Order, where a detective carries a cardboard box into a lab and suddenly the case is closed.
Reality is much messier.
If you’re asking what is a rapekit, you’re likely looking for more than just a dictionary definition. You want to know what actually happens to a human body during those four to six hours of invasive poking and prodding. Or maybe you're wondering why thousands of these kits are currently sitting in police storage lockers across the country, gathering dust while survivors wait for justice.
Essentially, a sexual assault evidence kit (SAEK)—the formal name for a rape kit—is a pre-assembled box containing swabs, bags, and glass slides. It’s a tool for DNA collection. But for the person on the table, it’s often the first step in a grueling marathon through the legal system.
The physical reality of the exam
It’s not just one thing. It’s a process.
When a survivor goes to a hospital, they are usually met by a SANE. That stands for Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner. These are nurses who have gone through specific, rigorous training to handle the intersection of medical care and forensic science. They aren't just looking for "clues." They are checking for internal injuries, bruising that might not show up under normal light, and biological traces left behind by an assailant.
The exam is long. It’s common for it to take five hours.
First, there’s the paperwork. Consent is huge here. You can stop at any time. You can say no to the pelvic exam but yes to the fingernail scrapings. You are in control, even if it feels like the opposite.
Then comes the "mapping." The nurse looks at every inch of skin. They use a Wood’s lamp—a UV light—to find fluids that the naked eye can’t see. They take blood samples. They pluck hair samples. They might even use a specialized camera to document micro-tears in tissue.
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What’s actually inside that cardboard box?
If you opened a standard kit from a manufacturer like Safariland or Sirchie, you’d see a series of envelopes. Everything is color-coded.
- Swabs: These are used for "everything." Oral, vaginal, anal, and skin surface.
- Envelopes for clothing: If you're wearing the clothes you had on during the assault, the nurse will take them. Yes, even your underwear. Especially your underwear.
- Debris collection: They use small combs for pubic hair and tiny tools to scrape under your fingernails.
- Documentation forms: This is where the nurse writes down the narrative. It’s the "who, what, when, where" that acts as the foundation for a police report.
The kit is then sealed with evidence tape. Once that tape is on, the "chain of custody" begins. If that tape is broken by someone who isn't a lab tech or a specific officer, the evidence can be tossed out of court.
It's fragile. It's high stakes. It's basically a person's worst night packed into a box.
The massive backlog problem
We have to talk about the "Backlog." This is the elephant in the room when discussing what is a rapekit and why they matter.
According to the Joyful Heart Foundation—an organization founded by Mariska Hargitay that tracks this stuff—there are hundreds of thousands of untested kits in the U.S. Why? It's expensive. A single kit can cost between $1,000 and $1,500 to test.
Sometimes, police departments decide not to test a kit because they think the case is "unfounded" or because they already know the identity of the suspect and don't think DNA is necessary. This is a massive mistake. DNA doesn't just "prove" who was there; it connects suspects to other crimes through CODIS.
CODIS is the Combined DNA Index System. It’s the FBI’s massive database. When a kit is finally tested, that profile goes into the system. It might hit on a guy who committed a robbery three states away. That’s how serial offenders are caught.
In cities like Detroit and Memphis, clearing the backlog has led to the identification of hundreds of serial rapists who had been walking free for decades. It’s not just a box of swabs; it’s a public safety tool.
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Myths versus the actual science
People think DNA is magic. It isn't.
Sometimes a kit comes back "inconclusive." This doesn't mean an assault didn't happen. It just means there wasn't enough biological material to create a profile. Maybe the survivor showered. Maybe the assailant used a condom. Maybe it had just been too long—the window for a kit is usually 72 to 120 hours, though some newer techniques can push that a bit further.
Another myth: The kit is only for strangers.
Actually, the majority of sexual assaults are committed by someone the victim knows. In these cases, the defense often argues "consent." You might think, "Why get a kit if we know who he is?" Because the kit can show trauma. It can show the presence of lubricants or drugs. It provides objective, scientific data to back up a survivor's word.
The cost of the exam (Hint: It should be $0)
Under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), you should not be charged for the forensic part of a rape kit. Period.
However, "healthcare" is complicated. While the kit itself is free, some hospitals have historically tried to bill survivors for the ER room fee, the Tylenol they were given, or the STI preventative medication. This is a systemic failure. Most states now have "Crime Victim Compensation" funds that are supposed to cover these "secondary" costs.
If you ever see a bill for a forensic exam, don't just pay it. Contact a local rape crisis center. They have advocates who spend half their lives fighting hospital billing departments.
What happens after the exam?
Once the kit is sealed, it goes to the police evidence locker. From there, it should go to a state or local crime lab.
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This is where the wait starts.
Depending on the state, it can take months or even years to get results. Some states, like California and Texas, have passed laws requiring kits to be sent to the lab within 30 days. Other states are still in the dark ages.
If you are a survivor, you have the right to know where your kit is. Most states now have "tracking portals" where you can log in with a private code and see if your kit is "at the station," "at the lab," or "completed."
Why some survivors choose not to get one
Honestly, it’s a lot.
The process is exhausting. You’ve just been through something traumatic, and now you have to spend five hours being poked by a stranger while you're naked. Some people decide it’s too much. That is okay.
You can also choose to have a "Non-Reported" or "Anonymous" kit. In many jurisdictions, the nurse will perform the exam and collect the evidence, but the police aren't called immediately. The kit is stored for a certain period (often 2-5 years) under a pseudonym. This gives the survivor time to breathe and decide if they want to pursue a legal case later.
Critical steps to take if you need a kit
If you or someone you know is in this position, there are a few things that actually matter for the integrity of the evidence.
- Try not to "clean up": It's the first thing everyone wants to do, but showering, brushing your teeth, or changing clothes destroys DNA.
- Save the clothes: If you have to change, put the clothes in a paper bag. Never use plastic; plastic traps moisture and grows mold, which eats DNA.
- Go to the right hospital: Not every ER has a SANE nurse on call. Call a local hotline (like RAINN at 800-656-HOPE) to find out which hospital in your area is the designated "center of excellence" for forensic exams.
- Bring a friend: You are allowed to have an advocate with you. If you don't have a friend available, ask the hospital to call a volunteer advocate from the local crisis center. They can stay in the room or just outside the curtain.
- Document your own timeline: While waiting, try to jot down what you remember on your phone or a piece of paper. Details fade fast when the brain is in shock.
A rape kit is a piece of technology, but it’s also a bridge between a traumatic event and the possibility of a legal resolution. It isn't a guarantee of a conviction. It isn't a "cure" for what happened. But it is a powerful piece of evidence that, when used correctly by the justice system, can prevent future crimes and provide a sense of validation for the person who had to endure the exam.
Understanding the "why" and "how" of this process helps demystify a part of the medical system that thrives in the shadows. Knowledge is the first step toward changing how these kits are handled and ensuring that no box is ever left on a shelf again.