Rape

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Post-traumatic stress disorder

Overview

Prevention

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AFTER A RAPE HAS OCCURRED

The victim may be acquainted or even live or work with a person who committed sexual assault. It is essential that rape victims be placed in an environment afterwards where they feel safe.

Victims of rape should be helped to understand that nothing about what happened was their fault. Nothing that they did should have allowed someone to have sex with them against their will. This includes dressing suggestively, or even kissing or performing other physically intimate activities with the person. Any fault or blame is solely on the rapist.

People who are raped may or may not be able to say that they were raped or seek help. Some may seek medical help for a different complaint, such as headaches, eating problems, pain, and sleep problems.

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Emotional reactions differ greatly and may include:

Confusion or loss of emotional control
Crying or feeling numb
Fear, anger, and hostility
Nervousness or inappropriate laughter
Not eating or sleeping well
Tightly controlled behavior
Withdrawal from family or friends

Other physical problems are often present as well. Emergency room staff are specially trained to deal with all of these situations.

MEDICAL EXAMS AND TESTS AFTER RAPE

Seeking medical care after a rape is important. This should be done without changing clothes, showering, douching, or urinating.

Some people may wish to report the rape as a crime, while others may not want to report it. This can be a difficult decision, and no one should be forced into making a choice right away. Some people will change their minds about reporting the rape as a crime in the future.

In many cities, rape cases are referred to specific emergency rooms. This provides more specialized care, and assures that proper procedures are followed to maintain the "chain of evidence" necessary for a case that may go to trial. Most state laws require that the person be evaluated in the emergency room before the rape is officially reported.

While in the emergency room:

You will be cared for by a team that is trained in dealing with the emotional, physical, and legal issues faced by a person who was raped.
Trained rape counselors will likely be present to support you during the evaluation and to help you with your feelings. A counselor, friend, family member, or someone (such as a nurse) will stay with you throughout the interviews and examination.
You should be offered the choice of being interviewed in street clothes, rather than in a patient gown.
The examination and collection of specimens should be fully explained beforehand, and whenever possible, you should be given choices.