Motile sperm can typically be recovered from the victim's vagina if specimens are

collected within 8 hours of the sexual assault. It is also common to recover intact,
nonmotile cells from the vagina up to 16 hours following intercourse; and less commonly
as long as 144 hours afterward.10
Sperm has even been found in the postmortem vagina up to 16 days after death. In this
case (investigated by San Diego Police Departement) it is believed that sperm was still
present because physical drainage of semen from the vagina was impossible due to the
victim's posture at the time of death. In addition, sperm cells do not degrade as actively
in the postmortem vagina due to an absence of cells normally found in a live victim's
vaginal and cervical fluids.

Sperm found in the mouth following oral copulation are more transitory than in the
vagina. However, intact sperm cells have been recovered from the mouth up to 6 hours
after ejaculation-even despite mouth rinsing or tooth brushing.11

Sperm have been found in rectal swabs up to 20 hours after an assault, however
researches caution that conclusions regarding sodomy should be based on other factors in
addition to sperm since semen draining from the vagina frequently contaminates the
anal\rectal region.12

In conclusion, the vaginal site is the most likely location to obtain specimens positive for sperm.
It also indicates that deterioration of evidence first occurs in mouth samples and then in vaginal
or rectal samples.
Clothing evidence (force, corroboration)
Clothing is useful as evidence to prove that force was used, if it is torn or soiled. It can also be
helpful so corroborate the victim's story. For intance, if the victim claim she struggled on the
grass, stains on her clothing will corroborate this and the absence of grass stains can be used
against her, as happened in the widely publicized trial of william kennedy smith. Of course,
evidence such as foreign debris, blood, seminal fluids and other stains can also be collectedfrom
clothing (these are discussed in the corresponding sections).

While some programs recommend collecting all of the victim's clothing, 13 other specify
that clothing should only be collected if it has clear evidentiary value-- for exampel, of
the clothing has visible tears, stains, debris, or if it was worn closest to the genital
structures.
From many victims, a winter coat or pair of shoes may be valuable property that cannot
easily be replaced. It is thus sometimes appropriate to allow the victim to keep these
items.