An alternate light source to detect semen.

Abstract

The Wood's lamp (WL) has been used in sexual assault evaluations. Recent data have shown that semen does not fluoresce with a WL and that physicians are unable to differentiate semen from other common medicaments using a WL. To determine whether physicians could differentiate semen from other products using an alternate light source (ALS), and to investigate whether a brief training period with the ALS would enhance physicians' ability to differentiate between semen and other commonly used products. An ALS, Bluemaxx BM500, was found to cause semen to fluoresce. Physicians were first asked to use this ALS to identify semen and then to distinguish between a semen sample and other products. Physicians then received a training class on the use of the ALS and were then asked to differentiate semen from other products. All physicians identified the semen as fluorescing and 25% successfully differentiated the semen from the other products using the ALS. Products most commonly mistaken for semen were a hand cream, Castille soap, and bacitracin. After the training session, 83% of the physicians successfully differentiated the semen from other products. The ALS, while not specific for semen identification, was 100% sensitive for it. Physicians instructed in the use of an alternate light source (BM 500) are able to identify semen as fluorescing and can differentiate semen (after a training session) from other commonly used products.