On the episode of _House_ I watched today, there was talk of “breaking out the rape kit” for a patient. Which made me wonder what, exactly, the “rape kit” consists of. Of course the internet has the answer, and its not pretty. Post-rape, female victims are subject to a number of necessary tests that I can imagine are really emotionally and psychologically uncomfortable in addition to being physically awkward. I mean, it has to be done, but yuck. Not the kind of experience one should be having after such a terrible and traumatic event. And yet, in the interests of the law and catching and prosecuting the perputrator, it pretty much *has* to be done, which, in itself, is sort of another form of forced violation.

The “kit” part refers to a physical kit of sterile equipment (swabs, tweezers, gloves, and the like) and evidence bags, as well as to the instructional procedures accompanying it.