THE LITERATURE ON MEDICAL-LEGAL EVIDENCE IN RAPE CASES REFLECTS SOME DEBATE AS TO THE UTILITY OF THE ACID PHOSPHATASE TEST AS A MEANS OF DETERMINING THE PRESENCE OF SEMINAL FLUID. TWO TYPES OF MEDICAL-LEGAL EVIDENCE IN SEXUAL ASSAULT -- DENTAL EVIDENCE AND INDICATIONS OF RECENT SEXUAL ACTIVITY ON THE PART OF THE SUSPECT -- HAVE RECEIVED LIMITED ATTENTION IN THE LITERATURE. SOME HOSPITALS HAVE DEVELOPED RAPE EVIDENCE KITS. SINCE THE EARLY 1970'S, MUCH OF THE LITERATURE HAS FOCUSED ON THE MEDICAL EXAMINATION AND TREATMENT OF SEXUAL ASSAULT VICTIMS. THE MEDICAL LITERATURE REFLECTS A GROWING INTEREST IN AND CONCERN FOR THE VICTIM'S PHYSICAL WELL-BEING. INTEREST IN EVALUATING THE TREATMENT OF SEXUAL ASSAULT VICTIMS AT HOSPITALS ALSO IS INCREASING. THE LITERATURE SUGGESTS THAT THE MOST SENSITIVE TREATMENT GENERALLY IS AVAILABLE AT HOSPITALS AND MEDICAL CENTERS THAT HAVE ESTABLISHED SPECIAL UNITS FOR SEXUAL ASSAULT VICTIMS. THE ROLE OF THE NURSE IN DEALING WITH RAPE VICTI HAS RECEIVED ONLY SCANT ATTENTION IN THE LITERATURE. RESEARCH ON PHYSICIANS' ATTITUDES TOWARD RAPE VICTIMS SUGGEST THAT THE ATTITUDES ARE MORE POSITIVE THAN INDICATED IN ARTICLES BASED ON ANECDOTAL INFORMATION FROM RAPE VICTIMS. THERE IS A NEED FOR METHODOLOGICAL IMPROVEMENTS IN RESEARCH IN THIS AREA AND FOR STUDIES OF THE EFFECT ON THE VICTIM OF HER EXPERIENCE WITH THE MEDICAL SYSTEM. (LKM)