A study conducted by an MSU professor revealed that sexual assault educational services across the nation need improvement.

Rebecca Campbell, an MSU associate professor of psychology, researched the productivity of Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner programs across the country.

The programs supply the most help toward people who have been subjected to sexual assault.

Campbell, who volunteered in an emergency room for 15 years, said she became interested in doing the study after witnessing how some rape victims were treated.

"I was motivated to do something after seeing what happens to rape victims in ERs when the proper examiner is not present," Campbell said.

After doing 110 in-depth phone interviews with various programs, Campbell said she saw many programs were improving but were not providing victims sufficient treatment for various things like treatment for sexually transmitted diseases and reproductive issues.

Campbell did not have exact numbers for particular sites in Michigan, but Shari Murgittroyd, their program coordinator at MSU's Sexual Assault Crisis Center, said the campus and area are doing the best to provide the proper treatment for sexually assaulted victims.

"We are on call at all times in need of medical advocacy," Murgittroyd said. "Whenever someone comes into (Lansing's) Sparrow Hospital and has been sexually assaulted, we are paged and go to help and comfort the patient through the process."

Murgittroyd said a lot of the people who help out with the hotline and center are staffed by registered student organizations like Sexual Assault Crisis Intervention, or SACI.

Kathleen Miller, SACI's president, said the job can be stressful at times.

"It can be very challenging but can be very rewarding as well," Miller, an interdisciplinary studies in social science senior, said.

Because the Sexual Assault Crisis Center is attached to the Counseling Center, it is not considered a full-fledged entity.

This prevents it from performing the full capabilities of other centers.Because of this problem places like the center and Olin Health Center have to direct victims to Sparrow Hospital.

The hospital does carry one of the only Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner programs in the area, said Leann Holland, the program's coordinator.

"We have specially trained nurses to help with sexual assault victims, Holland said.

"We provide other sources like free examinations and free contraceptives."

Holland said most people don't have enough information about sexual assault.