At the hospital
- A doctor will treat you for injuries, test and treat you for pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, collect and document medical evidence in case you decide to prosecute. With your permission, the doctor will use a Sex Crime Evidence Collection Kit in order to document the attack. Consenting to this procedure does not obligate you to press charges, however, the kit is instrumental in collecting evidence should you decide to persecute your attacker.
- The doctor will examine you in a private room. The police personnel will not be present during the examination.
- Many hospitals have rape crises counselors on call. If a counselor is not available, ask the hospital personnel to contact a rape crisis program and provide you with a trained rape advocate for support and information
Aftermath
- Contact someone you trust.
- Contact a rape crisis program for support and information such as RAINN at 1-800-656-HOPE.
- Don't blame yourself. Sexual assault is a crime punishable by law and no one provokes it. No matter what course of action you took, it was not your fault!
- Rape, sexual assault, and sexual abuse are not crimes of passion; they are crimes of violence, humiliation, anger, power and control.
- You are NOT alone. Rape, sexual assault, and sexual abuse can happen to anyone, regardless of gender, race, appearance, class, or sexual orientation. Rapists choose as victims those they see as vulnerable
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© 2007 After Silence - A message board and chat room for rape incest, sexual assault, and sexual abuse survivors.