What To Do If You Have Been Raped

Remember...it is not your fault!

It doesn't matter what you did or what you wore...you are not the one to blame.

Healing from rape can take a while...give yourself the time to heal.

If you are raped it is very important that you get to a safe area as soon as possible. Call for help or have someone call for you as quickly as you can.  Do not change your clothes, comb your hair, shower, douche or change anything about yourself until after you've had an examination by a doctor. Valuable evidence can be destroyed even by something as simple as drinking water or going to the bathroom. Try very hard not to do these things.

For women who have been raped, the need to take a bath or shower is often the first thing they think of after an assault. The need to cleanse their bodies of their attacker can feel urgently important. At this stage, you may not want to make a report to the police now but you might change your mind later - it is always your choice.  You can make the decision later but it is still important to report the rape as soon as you  can so that forensic evidence can be collected.

Even if you feel guilty or ashamed about what happened, try to confide in someone. This can be incredibly hard to do. The majority of women who are raped know their attacker. Someone you knew violated your body and  your trust in them was abused, this makes it very difficult for you to  to trust anyone. You may feel like your ability to judge anyone's intentions is impossible. Sometimes it is easier to talk to someone on the end of a phone, someone who can't see your face, or doesn't know  your name. Just to say the words "I've been raped" and admitting it to someone else is the first step to recovery.

In order to cope with the trauma of the event many women will  just try to carry on as normal and not tell anyone for a long time. However, often the stress will surface months or years later. No matter how much time has passed, you can always seek help from counselors or the police. Don't feel like you have to cope on your own simply because you did not report the incident immediately after it happened.

Dealing With the Police

Most of the time the police will want to keep your clothing to look at for evidence, so it's a good idea to bring a complete change of clothes with you.  Female rape victim's statements are usually taken by female police  officers. They have been specially trained to work with  victims of sexual attacks, and before they take a statement  from you they will explain police procedures  to you and give you advice and information of the next stages  including the court process. Remember if you have reported a sexual offense  you still have the right to withdraw the complaint  at any time.

Sometime during your visit at the police station  you will be asked to undergo a forensic examination. The doctor will ask you briefly  about  the events that happened during the attack before she  examines you. The examination itself consists of checking all of your body for marks, bruises, scratches that you may have  incurred during the rape.  The doctor will also check you internally, taking samples of your blood, hair (both head and pubic).

Some times there aren't  any physical signs that you were raped, but that doesn't change what happened to you.  Everyone reacts differently.  Some women scream or fight back,  but many become quiet and paralyzed by fear, unable to resist.  If violence is threatened, some may take the decision to struggle less in the hope of getting away  with the least amount of physical harm.  Consequently,  they may or may not have torn clothes or signs of struggle afterwards.  Verbal intimidation, threats or emotional blackmail  may be used by the assailant. Therefore a woman does not need to show  physical injuries to prove she has been assaulted.

Medical Advice
If there is injury that needs immediate attention you should go to hospital as soon as possible. Also, if you report the crime to the police fairly soon after it happened you will be examined by a doctor for forensic evidence. But if you decide to wait before you report it, or you haven't got an injury that needs treatment immediately, it is still important  to get examined by a doctor who will advise you about tests that are available and where you can get them done.  Take a trusted friend with you if it will make you more comfortable, this can be hard to go through alone.

The most obvious concern is pregnancy.  If there is a chance that you may become pregnant after being raped you will be offered a "morning after pill" to prevent this.  You need to take the pills within 3 days in order for it to be effective.  Also, you should be checked for possible STD's and HIV.  Your doctor will explain all of this to you prior to performing the test.  If you have any questions, don't be afraid to ask. 

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