Episode portrays a rape kit exam with care

The writers and actors on HBO’s ‘The Pitt’ consulted with experts to ensure accuracy.

- BY YVONNE VILLARREAL

EMMA (Laetitia Hol-lard) assists a rape kit exam in “The Pitt.”

(HBO)

The following article contains spoilers for Episode 7, “1:00 P.M.,” of “The Pitt” Season 2 on HBO.

The education begins almost immediately. A young woman who has just experienced a sexual assault is in triage, and “The Pitt's” Dr. Robby (Noah Wyle) enlists Dr. Al-Hashimi (Sepideh Moafi) to assist charge nurse Dana Evans (Katherine LaNasa) with the patient.

“We can call for a SANE,” another nurse suggests when Dana says she'll be occupied.

“On a holiday? Could be hours,” responds Dana, a veteran who knows better, as the Fourth of July shift enters afternoon hours. “We're not going to make this patient wait. And since I'm the only SANE on staff...”

A what? The quick reference sets in motion what “The Pitt” aims to shed light on: a sexual assault forensic exam, also known as a rape kit exam. The episode delves into the confidential medical procedure to collect DNA and evidence and gives one of the most detailed depictions of the process for television.

But before cameras venture into the room with the patient, Dana gives recent nursing school graduate Emma (Laëtitia Hollard) — and the audience — an overview. A SANE is a sexual assault nurse; they perform forensic exams, collect evidence and hand it over to the police, if a report is made. They also provide resources, support and may even testify in court.

The storyline serves a dual purpose, according to Kirsten Pierre-Geyfman, who co-wrote the episode with the show's creator, R. Scott Gemmill.

"We wanted to highlight the very important and incredible work of a SANE, especially in the department setting," she says. "And we also wanted to see the bravery it takes for a survivor to come forward, let alone do a rape kit ... It’s not an easy decision for somebody to make, and it’s not an easy process for somebody to go through."