If you believe you have been drugged or sexually assaulted, you have both confidential and non-confidential resources available to you for support.
Confidential Help
Students who would like to seek services confidentially can contact USC Student Health at 213-740-9355 (WELL) and ask for an confidential advocate. Your advocate will discuss your options with you, including providing you with transportation and support in the event you choose to seek non-confidential resources, such as seeking medical attention, reporting to law enforcement, and testing for illegal drugging. Seeking medical treatment as soon as possible is strongly encouraged. Be aware that sexual assault and drugging are crimes that may result in reporting to law enforcement by healthcare practitioners under California law.
Testing
Testing should be done as soon as possible as these drugs leave the system very quickly. Testing for illegal drugging (such as Rohypnol, ketamine, and GHB) is recommended to be completed as part of a report to law enforcement.
Testing for individuals who are concerned that they may have been sexually assaulted is best performed at a SART Center. These centers are staffed with specially trained, trauma-informed forensic nurses who are able to collect and preserve any evidence available from the incident and provide medical care.
For those who suspect drugging without suspicion of sexual assault, testing for illegal drugging is recommended to be completed as part of a report to law enforcement at specialized facilities that are connected with an emergency department. Your Confidential Advocate can assist you with reporting to law enforcement, or you can contact the Department of Public Safety directly at 213-740-4321 to make a report.
Testing Options
Students can also consult USC Student Health by calling 213-740-9355 to discuss testing options. Tests are performed at Student Health and after hours through Keck Hospital. Results of tests performed through Student Health can guide individual health decisions but are not collected for purposes of evidence. There is no cost associated with testing. Sample collection is recommended no later than 24-48 hours after ingestion.
USC Student Health Services are available 24/7 by phone, 213-740-9355 (WELL).
Frequently Asked Questions
What are symptoms of being drugged?
What are signs my drink may have been tampered with?
I suspect I’ve been drugged and experienced sexual assault, and I would like to seek medical attention, what should I do?
- Contact USC Student Health at 213-740-9355 and ask for a confidential advocate.Your advocate can arrange for transportation and evaluation at a SART facility where forensic evidence can be collected along with other medical care.
- Seek immediate medical attention: Testing should be done as soon as possible as these drugs leave the system very quickly. Delayed reporting and the passage of time can significantly impact the ability of testing to detect the presence of drugs.
- Samples are collected to preserve chain of custody for investigative and legal proceedings.
I suspect I’ve been drugged, but not assaulted, what should I do?
- Do not leave your drink unattended: Take your drink with you or give it to a friend to guard. If you leave your drink unattended, get a new one when you return.
- Open your own beverage: Drink from a bottle and watch the top being removed by the bartender.
- Do not accept an open drink offered to you in a plastic cup. If you don’t know what’s in it, don’t drink it.
After testing, when will I know the results, and who will have access?
Will I get in trouble (student conduct) with USC if testing reveals substance use in my system? Is there medical amnesty?
Students who report prohibited conduct, participate as witnesses in these investigations, or seek medical assistance for themselves or another by contacting a Residential Assistant, the Department of Public Safety, or calling 911, will not be subject to disciplinary sanctions for personal consumption of alcohol and/or other substances. The University amnesty policy would apply in these circumstances.
The use of alcohol or other drugs to incapacitate and disarm is criminal, a violation of university policy and not tolerated by the university. No action or inaction by a sexual assault survivor makes that person responsible for another person’s abusive or criminal conduct.
Additionally, when our entire community intervenes in curtailing sexual and gender-based harm, remarks, and potential assault, we signal to perpetrators that behavior that violates others is not to be tolerated. We can shift the boundaries of what is considered an acceptable norm and move toward a culture of consent as the community standard. USC students can learn skills to be active upstanders through the “Trojans Act Now!” information sheet to learn about the 4 steps you can take to safely intervene: Distract, Direct Action, Debrief, and Delegate.
What are drugs are used for drug-facilitated sexual assault?
Various “date rape drugs” are used to overpower someone or cause them to forget an incident.
There is no one drug used. Benzodiazepines (such as Rohypnol, Ambien, Xanax or other sleeping medications), Ketamine, gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) and gamma-butyrolactone (GBL) have been reported. Ecstasy (MDMA, molly) may also associated with drug-facilitated sexual assault.
The drugs can be in a pill, powder, or liquid form. Users should be aware which specific drugs are being tested in any testing strips. Testing strips also vary in their sensitivity or ability to detect a drug if it is present. Testing may create a false sense of security (false negatives).
A negative test does not mean that a drink is safe to drink.