A lot of people are into BDSM, or what some call “rough sex.” But occasionally something may go wrong, necessitating a trip to the ER. Now, the standard procedure in an ER is, when someone comes in with injuries that may indicate abuse, to get the police or social services involved . . . often getting the person’s partner in trouble. Do they make allowances if the relationship is consensually abusive? Do they believe the “victim” when he explains that, though the present injuries necessitated a trip to the ER, they were in the context of consensual play?
Social services and the police can only do so much if the injured party refuses to press charges. I’m not sure exactly where the limits are.
I do know that many people who are real victims of abuse could have ended it much earlier if they hadn’t insisted their injuries were from an accident. Most are too scared to take that step and the authorities can only push the issue so far.
Presumably the same procedures as for boxing or martial arts injuries.
If anyone on the admitting team has reason to believe there’s abuse going on, they’ll call in social services or a psych consult (depending on the nature of the injuries, the age of the patient and the relationship status of the suspected abuser). Then it’s up to that consult (based on both a written rubric and their subjective professional opinion) whether or not the police need to be called.