In many communities across Canada—particularly rural, remote, or underserved areas—survivors of sexual violence face significant barriers to accessing forensic examinations. These barriers may include geographic isolation, limited availability of Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANEs) or specially trained medical professionals, long wait times, or personal and systemic mistrust of medical and legal institutions. As a result, many survivors are left without timely access to evidence collection services. 

These delays can have serious consequences. Evidence such as DNA only remains on the body for a limited period of time, and everyday actions—like using the washroom, eating, drinking, or bathing—can quickly degrade or eliminate it. The sooner a sample is collected, the higher the likelihood of obtaining usable evidence.

To address similar gaps, several countries have explored self-collection as a way for survivors to preserve time-sensitive forensic evidence when full exams are unavailable. Models in Australia and the United Kingdom — where self-collection kits are often referred to as early evidence kits — allow survivors to collect swabs or clothing samples in supported settings, without replacing the option of a comprehensive forensic exam. These international examples highlight self-collection as a supplementary pathway, one that prevents the loss of crucial DNA evidence, and prioritizes survivor autonomy and safety.

What Is Self-Collection?

Self-collection refers to an approach to forensic evidence gathering that allows survivors to collect their own samples, using swabs, urine collection containers, and/or wipes, with the guidance and support of a trained staff member.

• Self-collection is intended to supplement, not replace, hospital-based forensic exams.
• In some protocols, the professional overseeing the self-collection is not required to be a medical professional.
• The process is intended to support agency and choice, while increasing the likelihood that evidence is preserved.

In situations where a full forensic exam is not available, the goal of self-collection is to offer an accessible way to preserve that time-sensitive evidence, rather than allowing it to be lost entirely. When this evidence isn’t collected in time, opportunities to support survivors’ choices—whether for medical follow-up, legal action, or future options—can disappear with it. Preserving evidence is key to maintaining critical pathways to care and justice.

The Canadian Context

Survivors of sexual violence in Canada continue to face major barriers when trying to access timely, safe services. Research led by McGill University found that many survivors are left without trauma-informed care or evidence collection options, especially in rural and remote regions, leaving justice and healing out of reach. Read the article here.

These gaps were also documented in an independent systemic review by Dr. Kim Stanton, who was tasked with examining how the BC legal system responds to sexual and intimate partner violence. In her final report, she confirmed that conventional service models are failing survivors and recommended exploring alternatives like self-collection to expand options for care and justice. You can read the report here.

She Matters’ national research, Does Geography Impact Access to Justice: Access to Forensic Evidence Collection in Rural and Remote Communities, further illuminated these inequities. Through the voices of survivors and rights holders across Northern Ontario, Northern British Columbia, and the Yukon, the research revealed how geography, systemic racism, and resource shortages intersect to restrict survivors’ access to support services and evidence collection. The findings highlight an urgent need for innovative, survivor-led solutions to bridge these critical gaps and ensure equitable access to justice across all regions of Canada. You can read the report here. 

Why Is Self-Collection Being Considered?

Self-collection is being considered in Canada because current systems leave many survivors without timely access to forensic care:

• Rural, remote, and northern regions often lack SANEs entirely, requiring survivors to travel long distances—or even fly—to access hospital-based services.
• Even in urban centers, coverage is inconsistent. SANEs are concentrated in select hospitals and often unavailable outside regular hours. Survivors presenting at night, on weekends, or on holidays may face long waits, during which evidence degrades.
• These barriers mean that many survivors never have the opportunity to collect evidence, not because they are unwilling, but because the system is inaccessible.

Self-collection is being considered as a way to close this gap. While it cannot replace medical or psychosocial care, it may offer an immediate, trauma-informed supplement that reduces inequities, enhances safety, and ensures survivors are not left without options.

About Our Research

Currently, there is no published research examining the feasibility of forensic DNA self-collection in the Canadian context. With funding from Women and Gender Equality Canada (WAGE), this project begins to address that gap.

Our research will:

• Assess whether self-collection is feasible, appropriate, and culturally responsive in Canada.
• Examine how it could align with survivor-centered services, existing legal and medical systems, and Canada’s geographic realities.
• Engage survivors, healthcare providers, law enforcement, legal experts, forensics experts and community advocates to generate evidence that can inform future decision-making.

This project is grounded in the belief that survivors deserve accessible, empowering, and culturally safe options for preserving evidence and deciding how and when to report.