If You've Been Raped

Rape occurs when one person forces another person to have sexual contact against their will. There is enormous stigma attached to being a rape victim for one reason or another. Although both men and women become rape victims, it is culturally easier for women to admit that rape has occurred than men, so women tend to report it more frequently. No matter how it occurs, rape is often a traumatic event for victims and the family members of victims.

Rapists come in all shapes and sizes and from all social classes. They can be strangers or (more commonly) people you know, or have socialized with. They can even be charming. The common denominator that makes a rapist a rapist is that they are willing to force sex on an unwilling or otherwise-unable-to-consent partner. Rape can occur violently, or it can occur through the use of "date rape" drugs such as Rohypnol that dull a victim's senses to the point where consent cannot be given.

As rapists are by definition quite unlikely to use barrier contraception protection, there is a very real risk that STDs are communicated when a rape occurs.

It is very important that rape victims seek emergency medical attention as soon as possible after their rape occurs. Rape victims should not wash or douche or in any way clean themselves after a rape has occurred and before they have had medical attention. This is because the rape victim's body is a crime scene which is likely to contain samples of the rapist's body fluids. In many cases, doctors can recover samples of these fluids which can later be used against the rapist in a court of law. To the extent they can be recovered, rapists' body fluids can also be tested for STDs, thus helping the rape victim to have a better idea of the STD risks they have been subjected to. Doctors can also treat rape victims for the trauma of their experience, and test for and treat STDs that may have been transmitted.